NYC Enchantment
by Peacex3Believe
Summary: So Random and Mackenzie Falls are sent to NYC during Christmas time. Life changing revelations will be made. Primarily Channy. Rated for language. Written for NaNoWriMo 2011.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story written for NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what it is, you should google it. It would take me too long to explain. Anyways, this story is longer than the required 50,000 words, since I continued writing it after the contest ended. (PS, I made the deadline with 50,006 words!) Anyways, I will post the chapters on each day that the story takes place. ****Example: Today's December 7th, 2011. The chapter takes place on December 7, 2011. ****Anyways, Chapter one was a bit short, so I threw in a little information about the characters.**

**DISCLAIMER: I would like to thank Jessica (hispinksunglasses on Tumblr) and Kaitlyn (currently xLittleMisfit on Twitter) for letting me borrow their characters for this! I love you guys. (The Mackenzie Falls OCs are Jessica's and Caleigh is Kaitlyn's.) All the others (excluding Cassie, Demetri, and anyone else you don't recognize the names of) are not mine.**

**PS. For more info, you should check out my tumblr for this fic. It's "nycenchantment" on tumblr.**

* * *

><p><span>Characters<span>

_So Random_

**Name:** Allison Sonny Munroe

**Age:** 17

**Hometown:** Appleton, WI

**Eye color:** Brown

**Hair:** Brunette

**Height:** 5'2"

**Likes:** "Uh, well. I like helping my friends… And sometimes strangers. I _love_ putting a smile on someone's face. And, uh… Reading! Love reading. Also, dreaming. Dreaming is fun."

**Dislikes:** Rude people, lying

**Abilities: **Acting, singing, piano, guitar, making people feel her emotions just by walking into a room

**Facts:**

- Sonny has very long states of denial when it comes to admitting a crush.

- Tawni Hart is her best friend in all of Hollywood.

**Name:** Tawni Hart

**Age:** 19

**Hometown:** College Station, TX

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blonde

**Height: **5'5"

**Likes:** Shopping, anything pink and/or sparkly, being the center of attention

**Dislikes:** Sharing, helping, caring, Mackenzie Falls

**Abilities:** "I can sing, I can act, and I'm always something and pretty!"

**Facts:**

- Tawni has always a crush on a certain boy who always seems to be chasing someone else.

- Though she doesn't like to admit it, her best friend is Sonny Munroe.

**Name:** Nico Harris

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Atlanta, GA

**Eye color:** Brown

**Hair:** Black

**Height:** 5'11"

**Likes: "**Girls, video games, girls, being suave, girls, pranking… Did I mention girls?"

**Dislikes:** Rejection, Mackenzie Falls

**Abilities:** Acting, rapping

**Facts:**

- Nico's best friend is Grady Mitchell.

**Name:** Grady Mitchell

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Orlando, FL

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blond

**Height:** 5'7"

**Likes:** Video games, girls, cheese, Iron Man, pranking

**Dislikes:** Asking girls out, rejection, Aquaman

**Abilities:** Acting, being a generally sweet and good friend to others

**Facts:**

- Grady is the shyest one of the Randoms.

- His best friend is Nico Harris.

**Name:** Zora Lancaster

**Age:** 14

**Hometown:** Portland, OR

**Eye color:** Brown

**Hair:** Brunette

**Height:** 5'1"

**Likes:** Strange animals (snakes, tarantulas, aye-aye, ect.), cold cut catapult, pranking, spying, small spaces

**Dislikes:** Mackenzie Falls, sappy love stories/relationships, prissy girly girls

**Abilities:** Acting, sleuthing, hacking, hiding, generally being sneaky…

**Facts:**

- Zora is known as the quirkiest random and has the IQ of a genius.

- Audrey Vale is her best friend.

**Name:** Audrey Vale

**Age:** 14

**Hometown:** Denver, CO

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blonde

**Height:** 5'1"

**Likes:** Animals, love stories, spying, pranking

**Dislikes:** Mackenzie Falls, prissy girly girls

**Abilities:** Sleuthing, lying, acting, hiding

**Facts:**

- Audrey has the IQ of a genius and is often roped into Zora's schemes.

- Zora Lancaster is her best friend.

**Name:** Matthew Bailey

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Outer Banks, VA

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Brunet

**Height:** 5'11"

**Likes:** Reading, video games, pranking

**Dislikes:** Rude people

**Abilities:** Acting, pranking, making people laugh at any time

**Facts:**

- Matthew likes to write scary stories every once in a while.

- His best friends are Damien Johannsen and Shayne Zabo.

**Name:** Damien Johannsen

**Age:** 17

**Hometown:** Minneapolis, MN

**Eye color:** Brown

**Hair:** Brunet

**Height:** 5'11"

**Likes:** Pranking, reading, video games

**Dislikes:** Arrogant people

**Abilities:** Acting, charming people, pranking

**Facts:**

- Damien is the youngest of the five guy Randoms.

- His best friends are Shayne Zabo and Matthew Bailey.

**Name:** Shayne Zabo

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Columbus, OH

**Eye color:** Green

**Hair:** Brunet

**Height:** 5'9"

**Likes:** Reading, pranking, video games

**Dislikes:** Being interrupted in the middle of an intense book or TV show

**Abilities:** Acting, pranking, karate

**Facts:**

- Shayne is the most level-headed of the guy Randoms.

- Damien Johannsen and Matthew Bailey are his best friends.

_Mackenzie Falls_

**Name:** Chad Dylan Cooper

**Age:** 17

**Hometown:** Napa, CA

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blond

**Height:** 6'

**Likes:** Being the center of attention, taking care of his sisters

**Dislikes:** Annoying people, illiteracy, people who are not like him or his friends, So Random

**Abilities: **Acting, singing, piano, guitar, hiding his feelings, causing girls to faint from his charm

**Facts:**

- Chad will always deny falling for a girl because, "CDC doesn't fall for a girl. The girl always falls for CDC."

- His best friend is Skyler DeVane, but he and all the Mackenzie Falls boys are close (excluding Ferguson Michaels).

**Name:** Skyler DeVane

**Age:** 19

**Hometown:** Windom, TX

**Eye color:** Green

**Hair:** Dark brunet

**Height:** 6'4"

**Likes:** Musicals, theatre, showtunes, pranking other shows

**Dislikes:** When people provoke him or the people he cares about

**Abilities:** Acting (TV, movies, theatre), singing, dancing, bass guitar

**Facts:**

- Skyler is openly gay, initially outed by the media.

- His best friend is Chad Dylan Cooper, but he and all the Mackenzie Falls boys are close (excluding Ferguson Michaels).

**Name:** Portlyn Maddison

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Los Angeles, CA

**Eye color:** Green

**Hair:** Brunette

**Height:** 5'5"

**Likes:** Clothing, chick flicks, the color lavender

**Dislikes:** Any form of work, reading

**Abilities:** "Acting, duh. Um… Does shopping count?"

**Facts:**

- Portlyn is seen as an airhead by most people. She has no problem with this, considering that she believes that an airhead is a type of candy.

- Her best friend is Penelope Balatico.

**Name:** Penelope Balatico

**Age:** 17

**Hometown:** Los Angeles, CA

**Eye color:** Green

**Hair:** Dark brunette

**Height:** 5'4"

**Likes:** Shopping, chick flicks, revenge, the color blue

**Dislikes:** When someone has someone or something she can't have, overly happy people

**Abilities:** Acting, singing, dancing

**Facts:**

- Penelope is sneaky and conniving when it comes to getting what she wants.

- Portlyn Maddison is her best friend.

**Name:** Rider Kingston

**Age:** 20

**Hometown:** Los Angeles, CA

**Eye color:** Green-gray

**Hair:** Reddish-brunet

**Height:** 5'11"

**Likes:** Music, causing trouble, pranking

**Dislikes:** Rules, being told what to do

**Abilities:** Acting, singing, guitar, bass, drums, piano, trumpet

**Facts:**

- Rider is openly bisexual.

- He constantly bickers with his best friends, and most of the time it's with Chase Alteau.

**Name:** Chase Alteau

**Age:** 19

**Hometown:** Pensacola, FL

**Eye color:** Gray

**Hair:** Dark brunet

**Height:** 6'1"

**Likes:** Classical music, learning, reading, writing

**Dislikes:** Ignorance, illiteracy, being without his glasses

**Abilities:** Acting, singing, dancing (prefers waltz and tango), has a high intelligence range

**Facts:**

- Though Chase is a certified genius with an IQ of 186, he feels terribly insecure without his glasses.

- He may not ever admit it, but his closest friend is Rider Kingston.

**Name:** Logan Beaumonte

**Age:** 22

**Hometown:** Long Island, NY

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Auburn

**Height:** 6'3"

**Likes:** Sports, cooking, keeping his friends out of trouble

**Dislikes:** When people threaten his friends

**Abilities:** Acting, cooking, staying calm under pressure

**Facts:**

- Logan cannot sing whatsoever.

- Out of his best friends, he particularly seems to like Luke a bit more.

**Name:** Luke Finch

**Age:** 17

**Hometown:** Lancaster, PA

**Eye color:** Green

**Hair:** Platinum blond

**Height:** 5'8"

**Likes:** Being with friends, quiet places, keeping to himself

**Dislikes:** Being in huge crowds, talking with new people

**Abilities:** "…It's a secret."

**Facts:**

- Luke carries around a notebook all the time, but no one knows what's in it.

- There is a very small, almost non-existent chance that he will speak around anyone other than his close friends.

- Out of his best friends, he feels the most comfortable yet uncomfortable around Logan.

_Others_

**Name: **Caleigh Danielle Cooper

**Age: **6

**Hometown:** Napa, CA

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blonde

**Height:** 3'5"

**Likes:** Playing dress-up, fairytales, unicorns, pretending

**Dislikes:** People who bother her big brother or make him mad, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (specifically the jelly), evil villains

**Facts: **

- Caleigh is the youngest member of the Cooper family.

**Name:** Cassie Demetria Cooper

**Age:** 15

**Hometown:** Napa, CA

**Eye color:** Blue

**Hair:** Blonde

**Height:** 5'3"

**Likes: **Music, theatre, graphic design

**Dislikes:** People who try to act perfect all of the time

**Abilities:** Singing, dancing, acting, sketching (amateur)

**Facts:**

- Cassie is the older one of Chad's two younger sisters. Caleigh is the other.

- She goes to a performing arts high school and aspires to become a singer or actress.

**Name:** Casey Demetri Carson

**Age:** 16

**Hometown:** New York, NY

**Eye color:** Blue-green

**Hair:** Dirty blond

**Height:** 5'10"

**Likes:** Music, sports

**Dislikes:** People who pick on his little sisters

**Abilities:** Guitar, singing

**Facts:**

- Casey likes to go by his middle name, Demetri, since he lives with his mother, who is Greek.

- Demetri his two little sisters named Lexi and Kari.

**Name:** James Conroy

**Age:** 18

**Hometown:** Los Angeles, CA

**Eye color:** Brown

**Hair:** Brunet

**Height:** 6'1"

**Likes:** Being an actor, his bad-boy reputation

**Dislikes:** When someone has someone or something he wants

**Abilities:** Acting, singing, charming adults and teenage girls

**Facts:**

- James will do whatever it takes to impress a girl he really likes.

_Note: There are more characters than these, but other information about them isn't crucial to know._

* * *

><p><em>December 7th<em>

"Why are we here? What did you Randoms do?" the arrogant blond actor named Chad Dylan Cooper asked accusingly.

"Why do you always assume everything is our fault? We didn't _do_ anything!" the optimistic brunette actress, Sonny Munroe, countered defensively.

Her statement was only met by her cast mates' awkward and abrupt silence.

"…Right, guys?" she asked, glancing at the Zora Lancaster.

"Don't look at me!" Zora exclaimed. "We aren't dumb enough to try and create a portal to Narnia with the lab chemicals!" she said, gesturing to herself and her best friend, Audrey Vale.

"Thanks, Zora!" Grady Mitchell and Nico Harris spat angrily.

Immediately, the actress spun around on her heel to face the boys.

She glared witheringly at them and crossed her arms over her chest. "You guys! Really? A portal to Narnia?"

"Oh, like you've never tried a Harry Potter spell before!" Damien Johanssen interjected.

"That is _so_ not the same thing!" Sonny defended.

"It kind of is," Matthew Bailey commented, trying to avoid Sonny's glare.

Chad smirked at the thought of Sonny running around, trying to cast spells on random objects.

"Seriously, Sonny? You're even more of a dork than I thought you were. I didn't think that was possible."

"Yeah? Well... you were wrong!" she sputtered.

The blond snickered, enjoying the conversation from his end.

"You do realize that you just called yourself a dork, right?"

"Psh, yeah! Duh!" she said confidently, not truly full paying attention to the words he was saying. She was just sick of the way he thought he was always right.

"Good."

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Shayne Zabo sighed, laughing under his breath. "They're at it again."

"Ugh. It's disgusting, the way she flirts with him like that," the blonde diva, Tawni Hart said.

"I guess... Personally, I wanted to build a TARDIS," he shrugged, really speaking to no one in particular. "I got outvoted."

"Not that I care or anything, but what on Earth is a _TARDIS_?" Tawni asked, fussing with her hair while looking in the reflection of her phone.

"Only a time machine slash spaceship from the most awesome British TV show _ever_!" Shayne answered.

"I doubt that," the blonde girl replied, checking her nails.

"You dare doubt the magnificence of Doctor Who?" the brunet boy gasped, aghast, before beginning a full rant to the girl, who was not even listening anymore.

As the Randoms were arguing, more members of Mackenzie Falls approached.

Skyler DeVane flamboyantly entered the So Random prop house with Rider Kingston, Chase Alteau, Logan Beaumonte, and Luke Finch trailing behind.

Skyler headed over towards Tawni, who had left the rambling Shayne alone, leaving the other boys to do as they pleased.

"Hey. Did we miss anything?" he asked the blonde.

"Just Sonny yelling at the boys and then flirting with Chad," she replied nonchalantly.

Both mentioned turned their heads sideways to face her and yelled, "We're _not_ flirting!" before continuing their argument.

"Ah, such children," Skyler rolled his eyes. "Who do you think will make the first move?"

While he and Tawni predicted events for the non-existent relationship of their best friends, the Mack Falls boys were preoccupied as well.

Rider threw a hacky sack around while Chase had his nose buried in a book and Luke awkwardly hid behind Logan, his shyness getting the best of him.

"Why are we here?" Chase asked in an irritated tone, looking up from his book. "I've got better things to do than wait around and see these chuckleheads get yelled at."

"You mean reading that monster of a book about things no normal human being on this planet can understand or even _cares_ about?" Rider Kingston remarked, tossing the hacky sack into the air and catching it effortlessly.

"Easy for you to say. You have the IQ of a squirrel," Chase said, rolling his eyes as Rider ran a few feet and chased after the hacky sack. "And the attention span of one, for that matter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rider glared.

"Precisely."

"Shut up, Alteau!"

"Make me, Kingston!"

Rider snatched the book out of Chase's hands and flung it down on the couch. In turn, Chase knocked Rider's hacky sack out of the air and across the room, smacking Chad in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Chad yelled as Sonny broke into hysterical laughter. The boys pretended not to hear him.

Just as quickly as Rider had lunged at Chase, Logan pulled the two apart, trying to settle them down.

Luke scuttled off to the side of the group and took a seat on the arm of the couch, watching the mass of actors and actresses in heated conversations.

The next person to enter the room was the owner of Condor Studios, Mr. Condor himself, followed by his 11-year-old daughter, Dakota.

"Alright, alright. Quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement to make," he said sternly.

None of them could hear him over the commotion they were making. Dakota looked up at her father and he simply nodded. She pulled a chair from the table and dragged it to the center of the room.

Climbing up on it, she shouted, "Quiet!"

Instantly, everyone stopped speaking midsentence to look at her.

"My daddy has something to say," Dakota said, glaring at all of them, and then smiling angelically at her father.

"Thank you, sweetie," he smiled, helping her hop down from the chair.

"As you all know, the year is almost over," he began. "So as a reward for maintaining the titles of the number one and the number two tween shows, I'm inviting the casts of Mackenzie Falls and So Random to New York City for Christmas and New Year's."

Instantaneously, everyone turned to the person next to them and began chattering excitedly.

"But before you get too enthusiastic," he continued, cutting them off. "I've arranged a few meet and greets for you in Central Park."

"Oh, that's not too bad," Sonny whispered to Tawni.

"Speak for yourself! I want to shop in New York! I can meet fans anytime!" she replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Sonny rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Mr. Condor.

"Instead of staying at a hotel, you will be staying at our guest house," he continued.

Dakota piped up, "Actually, it's a floor of this ginormous building."

"Right. Thank you, sweetheart," he nodded.

"On Christmas Eve, I am hosting a party at our New York mansion," he said, turning his attention back to them.

_"New York mansion? He has others besides the one here in California?"_ Sonny thought bewilderedly.

"It's a very formal and important gathering. You will probably recognize some of the people there. Award winning directors, producers, and writers, as well as actors and actresses will be attending. I expect you all to behave and conduct yourselves civilly," he stated firmly.

The sea of young people nodded in agreement.

"Good. Also, sales on that holiday album that you recorded in November: fantastic. Great job everyone," he said, checking his watch as everyone chattered quietly with the person next to them.

"I've got another meeting to get to, so here are your tickets. Don't lose them," he said slowly, as if he was speaking to a group of small children.

He handed the envelope labeled "So Random!" to Sonny and the one labeled "Mackenzie Falls" to Chad before exiting the room, Dakota skipping along behind him.

The room exploded into chaos as soon as Mr. Condor was out of view.

"Shh! Alright, everyone stop talking for about five seconds while we count the tickets," Sonny shouted over the cacophony.

"We have ten tickets, but only eight of us can go. Chas is in Paris for the month visiting family and Ferg's in Japan with his dad on a business trip," Chad said, referring to two of their other cast members, Chastity DeWitt and Ferguson Michaels.

"And we have eleven tickets. Grace is spending the holidays with her family in Texas and Bridget's in Maine," Sonny added. "Only nine of us are going."

"What should we do with the extra tickets?" he asked.

"Invite family?" Sonny suggested. "We'd just have to rearrange things with the airline company, but it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. I know my mom would love to go. Besides, I don't want to leave her alone for Christmas."

Chad nodded in agreement, "Yeah. If no one else needs the three other extras, I could use them."

"Who are you bringing? Three airhead girlfriends who don't know about each other?" Sonny said carelessly, rolling her eyes.

Before anyone could even laugh at the comment, Chad replied, "Actually, no. I'm bringing my two younger sisters and the housekeeper if she wants to come."

There was only silence as he plucked one of the extra tickets from Sonny's hands, then left quickly without another word.

"…Awkward," Tawni commented before pulling out her phone and reading a new text.

As the Randoms returned to their normal activities, Zora and Audrey plotting on their way up to the vents; Nico and Grady to video gaming; Damien, Shayne, and Matthew to sketch writing, the Mackenzie Falls boys lingered behind just a bit longer.

Skyler was the first to leave, following his best friend almost immediately after he had rushed out of the prop house. Chase was the next to leave, muttering something about quadratic equations as he headed back to Stage Two. Luke and Logan trailed after Chase, simply wanting to get back to work. Only Rider remained behind.

He strode over to the table where Sonny was sitting, pulling along the chair Dakota had used. He placed opposite of Sonny and sat down facing her.

"Don't beat yourself up about it," he said, rolling the hacky sack around on the tabletop.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonny replied, pretending to write something down in her sketch idea notebook.

"Sonny, you have guilt written all over your face," Rider smirked.

She sighed, setting her pencil down on the table.

"Don't worry about it. Chad's used to this type of stuff. He's just a little sensitive when it comes to his sisters. I know I am. I'd do anything for my little sister Melody."

"I just feel terrible… I didn't know he had little sisters," she said quietly.

"Yeah, you never hear about them in the tabloids. Chad wants to keep it that way for a while. Something about Hollywood corrupting them," he shrugged.

She smiled at the thought. "That's actually really sweet…"

He nodded in return. "Don't believe everything you hear about him in magazines. There's a lot more to Chad Dylan Cooper than you'd think," he smiled, standing up and heading towards the exit.

"…Rider?" Sonny said, standing up.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

"Could you possibly tell Chad that I'm terribly sorry about that comment I made?" she asked as she walked towards him.

"Well, I don't usually make suggestions because Chase says I never have any good input whatsoever… That jerk…" Rider began, then trailed off.

"Ahem," Sonny cleared her throat, trying to get his attention again.

"Anyways, I think that's something you should tell Chad yourself. It'll sound much better coming from you than me."

She sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Alright… Thanks, Rider."

"No problem, Sonny," he smiled, tossing the hacky sack and catching it once more before heading out of the room.

**A/N: I would totally love it if you could take a few moments to review... Please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: If you're reading this, thank you for being patient and sticking with me on this! I'm sorry for this chapter being so short, but I promise you the future chapters get much longer. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**

December_ 18th_

"C'mon everyone, the gate's closing in 5 minutes. Hurry up! The plane is leaving with or without us," the brunette woman named Connie shouted over the cacophony of the airport, hurrying the disorganized group along.

When Sonny reached the gate podium and handed the attendant her boarding pass, she said, "Don't worry, mom. I made sure I counted everyone at least ten times. They're all here."

"Oh good," her mother sighed with relief as they boarded the plane.

Altogether, the Condor Studios gang occupied the whole first class section of the airplane.

"What seat are you? I'm in 3D," Sonny said to her mother, looking at her own boarding pass.

"We all are, honey," she said jokingly. "I'm in 1B," she stated, shoving her luggage into the overhead compartment.

Sonny's eyes went from her boarding pass to the rows.

The plane's layout consisted of three seats on the left, the middle aisle, and three seats on the right.

Seated on the left hand side of the first row was Chad's housekeeper, Hannah Marin. In the right section of the first row were Tawni and two girls from Mackenzie Falls: Penelope Balitico and Portlyn Maddison.

In the second row on the left side sat Shayne, Damien, and Matthew, while Nico and Grady were on the right.

Zora, Audrey, and one of Chad's sisters, Cassie Demetria, occupied the third row, just behind the boys.

In Sonny's section of the row sat Chad and his other little sister, Caleigh Danielle.

Behind them were Logan and Luke. Across from the two quiet boys were the three louder ones, Rider, Chase, and Skyler.

Sonny sighed inwardly as she made her way down the aisle to where Chad was sitting with Caleigh. He sat in the window seat with Caleigh in the middle.

"Hey, Chad," Sonny said after placing her bag in the overhead bin and sitting down.

"Hey," he nodded.

Sonny smiled at his little sister, "And you must be one of Chad's little sisters, right?"

She nodded rapidly and said, "I'm Caleigh. Chaddy is my big brother. But I'm not little! I'm six years old!"

The older girl laughed at the statement and smiled warmly, "Well, hello, Caleigh!"

Caleigh grinned widely and said, "Hello! Are you Sonny Munroe? ...Hey, that rhymed! Didn't it, Chaddy?"

Chad nodded with his eyes fixed on his cell phone and said, "Yes, it did, Caleigh."

"Yay!" she said, squealing with glee.

Sonny smiled, "Yes, I am Sonny Munroe. How did you know that?"

"I watch So Random all the time. It's my favorite show!" Caleigh said, beaming.

"Oh, really?" she grinned.

"Yep! It's really funny," the little girl nodded seriously.

Her older brother rolled his eyes disapprovingly, but with a soft smile. "I haven't gotten around to showing her some real quality kids' shows."

The brunette scoffed, "So Random _is_ a quality kids' show!"

"Yeah!" Caleigh chirped.

"Hey!" Chad said, pretending to be hurt. "I'm your brother. You're supposed to be on my side."

She looked up and shrugged, smiling innocently.

From the other side of the aisle sat Cassie, who was fiddling with the buttons on a small camcorder in her hands. After a few moments, she held it out so the camera lens could see her and then pressed record.

"This is the video diary of Cassie Demetria Cooper," she said, just loud enough for the camera to hear.

"Hopefully I'll get some good footage for my multimedia tech project out of this trip to New York," she shrugged.

"Today is December 18th, 2011 and we are currently waiting for the plane to take off for New York City, where we will be until after New Year's―"

"What are you recording?" Audrey asked, looking over Cassie's shoulder.

Cassie hit the stop button and replied, "Just stuff for school."

"Oh, cool. You didn't have to stop recording," she said.

The slightly older blonde said, "We'll be taking off soon anyways. Might as well put it away."

Audrey seemed a little confused and glanced back at Zora, to which she just shrugged and returned to her notebook, planning out places she and her best friend would be interested in visiting in New York.

Breaking Zora's train of thought, a voice began voice flowing through the speakers of the plane, "Hello! My name is Elena and I would like to welcome everyone for flying with us this afternoon."

She sighed, knowing very well the rules and regulations for flying cross country. Zora stashed her notebook in her backpack before leaning back and closing her eyes…

* * *

><p>Towards the end of the flight, almost everyone was in a crabby mood.<p>

The So Random boys' gaming devices all had died.

"Man, I _so_ would have won that round if it hadn't run out of battery!" Nico sighed.

"No way! I was ahead by a full lap!" Matthew reasoned.

Grady laughed, "You're both wrong. I would've beaten you all."

"Hah, right. Says the guy who was in sixth place!" Shayne remarked.

"At least he wasn't in eighth!" Damien defended.

The older girls, excluding Sonny, complained constantly as they tried to nap.

"It's too hot in here!" Tawni grumbled.

"Are you kidding me? It's freezing!" Portlyn shivered.

"These seats are terrible quality. I can't sleep in these conditions!" Penelope criticized.

Meanwhile, Rider had already consumed a full can of soda and couldn't sit still for more than five minutes. Chase was becoming more and more agitated with each of Rider's complaints, especially because Skyler had slept through it all.

"Chase… Psst, Chase… Chase…" Rider whispered.

"What do you want? You're irritating me with your incessant whining," Chase groaned, not bothering to look up from his book.

"But I'm bored!" he exclaimed exasperatedly.

In turn, Chase suggested, "Read."

"I didn't bring anything to read."

"Of course you didn't," the boy in the dark rimmed glasses said, rolling his eyes.

"What are you reading?" the hyperactive actor asked.

"The Inferno."

"What's it about?"

"People being tortured in the afterlife," Chase replied, turning the page without looking up.

"…Why would anyone read something like that?"

"To find new ways to make aggravating people shut up?"

"…Like who?"

The quieter boy glanced up to see if his friend was serious.

"Really, Rider? You need an example?" he sighed.

The other boy didn't answer because he was too busy asking the flight attendant for another cup of soda.

Before the attendant left, Chase made sure that she brought him something decaffeinated. Neither Chase's sanity nor Rider's physical health would be able to withstand anymore caffeine running through the older boy.

While the two boys continued arguing, their friends Luke and Logan had fallen asleep. Luke's head rested on Logan's shoulder and Logan's head against Luke's.

In front of them, Zora and Audrey were watching a movie as Cassie tried to block out the noise with her music.

Across from the girls were Chad and Sonny, arguing over little things while Caleigh napped.

"Good."

"Good!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"_Good!_"

"_Good!_"

"Oh my _gosh!_ For the _fifteenth_ time, _shut up!_" Tawni hissed from the front.

Silence filled the first class cabin until the flight attendant pushed the intercom once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for just a moment? At this time, we will begin our descent into New York City."

As everyone scrambled to gather their belongings and tidy up their seats, the plane began descending…

* * *

><p>"Whoa," was all anyone could say when they arrived at Mr. Condor's place, the top floor of the Windsor Complex building in downtown NYC.<p>

As soon as you stepped off of the elevator, you could see the entire city through the large glass windows.

In the center of the room was a fireplace column that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Behind the fireplace stack was a spacious, hardwood floored kitchen and dining area. In front of the fireplace was a group of three couches, arranged in a u-shape. Above the mantle of the fireplace was a flat-screen TV. A pair of surround sound speakers was placed next to the column. Behind the couches, there was a great big open space taken up by an undecorated evergreen tree.

In the next section of the main room, there were beanbag chairs, a mini fridge, and gaming systems galore—every gamer's dream.

A hallway branched off from the main area, leading to the bedrooms, bathrooms, and miscellaneous areas of the floor.

As soon as they entered, the So Random boys were content with just throwing their things into their bedroom and taking over the game area.

As they did that, everyone spread out throughout the condo, exploring.

Luke and Cassie met up in front of a white door covered in splatter paint. They examined the door and pushed it open, discovering a fairly large design studio. Instantly, they looked at each other with huge grins on their faces. The room was filled with paints, canvasses, pencils, pastels, sketch books, and photography and computer equipment.

"Oh my gosh! This is insane!" Cassie said as she headed towards the photography and graphic art section of the room. She was hoping that she was dreaming she never wanted to wake up.

Luke didn't say a word, but he inspected the canvasses and sketchbooks with a smile on his face.

As they marveled at the artist's heaven, Sonny, Chad, Skyler, and Rider stumbled upon a home recording studio. It was exactly like a professional studio, containing all the same apparatus: a piano, guitars, drums, and microphones.

"No way…" Sonny whispered as she entered the recording booth.

"Sweet!" Rider said, picking up one of the electric guitars.

The four musical teens tested out the equipment for the next half hour as Tawni, Penelope, and Portlyn wandered around for a bit until they found exactly what they were hoping for: a home spa. Inside, there was a hot tub, a small pool, and a lounge area. All three girls squealed with delight.

While everyone was exploring, Logan took it upon himself to follow Caleigh around as she explored. As the little girl skipped through the halls, he trailed behind with his hands in his pockets. She opened and closed several doors before finally finding something of interest.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, eyes wide, as she pushed a light pink door open. Inside was a princess playroom, probably Dakota's old toys from when she visited.

The walls were all painted in princess pink, with a cloud castle design covering most of the room. The majority of the space was taken up by a massive castle structure, various toys and costumes surrounding it.

Immediately, Caleigh ran in and began playing with her imaginary friends.

Logan chuckled, smiling as he stood in the doorway and watched.

When everybody was done exploring, they all began unpacking and settling in, renewed with excitement.

By midnight, everyone was in bed, trying to sleep in order to be full of energy for the day to come.

**A/N: ...Review pretty please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm sorry, I meant to update this chapter early this morning. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!**

_December 19th_

The next morning, everyone woke up a little late due to jet lag, but the whole lot was buzzing with enthusiasm. The actors and actresses had been woken up by the smell of homemade pancakes and waffles along with sausages and bacon cooked by Hannah and Connie. Each one thanked the two women a thousand times as they scarfed down their brunch.

"What have you guys planned to do today?" Hannah asked.

The three sophisticated and pretentious girls turned to each other and simultaneously exclaimed, "Shopping!" while everyone else rolled their eyes in response.

"Well, I need to do some Christmas shopping," Sonny commented.

Chad nodded in agreement, "Yeah, so do I."

"We could walk around in the Manhattan Mall for a while. Anything in its own separate store outside is probably a bit too pricy," Chase suggested.

"I don't know about everyone else, but while you're all shopping in the boring stores, Zora and I want to go to FAO Schwarz," Audrey said.

"I heard that place is amazing! I'll go too!" Matthew agreed.

The rest of the So Random boys looked at each other and chorused, "Us too!"

Rider glanced over at Skyler, who nodded at him, and then said, "If you guys don't mind, we're coming too."

The Randoms stared with eyebrows raised. "The drama-snobs like toy stores?" Nico questioned.

Skyler shrugged, "Sure, why not? Besides, I need more Nerf darts and a new gun."

"Same. I cracked the side of mine and lost all the darts in our last ambush on the girls," Rider grinned.

The surprised Randoms agreed to let the two rambunctious boys tag along.

"What about you, Lo?" Chad inquired.

The redheaded actor glanced over at Luke, who merely shrugged.

"I guess we'll go Christmas shopping with you guys," Logan replied.

"Alright. Has anyone seen Cassie?" he asked.

"I think she's still in our room," Audrey answered.

"Oh, I'll go ask her what she wants to do," Zora volunteered, leaving the room as Chad nodded his thanks.

While everyone was making plans for the day, Cassie sat in the bedroom she, Zora, and Audrey were sharing. With her laptop set on the table, she was video chatting with her best friend, Selene.

"Girl, you are in NYC for the holidays and you're sitting here talking to _me_? Go. Leave. Now."

Cassie rolled her eyes, smiling. "I don't know where I want to go."

"…From the moment you heard about this trip, you have been talking non-stop about places you want to go. That's obviously not the problem," Selene said, folding her arms over her chest.

"…Fine, it isn't," the blonde admitted, running a hand through her hair.

"What is it then?"

"I don't know… It's just…" she began.

"Just…?" her friend urged her to continue.

"I feel like an outsider here."

"Huh…"

"Huh? What?" Cassie asked with a confused look on her face.

"You have an introverted side. Never would've guessed," Selene teased. "I mean, with you being a cheerleader, acting in plays, singing in musicals…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said, cutting her friend off.

"You said you've met your brother's friends before?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Stick with them, then. At least you know them a little better than the rest," the brunette suggested.

"I guess…" Cassie conceded, trailing off as she heard someone knock on the door.

"Yes?" she asked.

Zora pushed the door open and poked her head inside. "Hey, we're all deciding what we're going to do today. The Random guys, Audrey, Rider, Skyler, and I are going to that huge toy store, FAO Schwarz. Do you want to come with us, shop with the girls, or go to Manhattan Mall with everyone else?"

After a few moments of thought, she replied, "Oh. Um, I guess I'll go to FAO Schwarz with you guys."

"Okay, I'll let them know. We're leaving in about 10 minutes," the younger girl replied.

"Alright, thanks," she nodded as Zora left.

"Well, the city awaits!" Selene grinned. When Cassie rolled her eyes again, she said, "Oh, come on. You'll have fun!"

"Maybe. I'll text you later," Cassie replied.

"Good. See ya later."

"See ya," she said before ending the call and signing off of her laptop.

Before leaving, Cassie took a small messenger bag style purse out of her suitcase and threw her wallet, phone, iPod, and camcorder in. After securing her charm bracelet, she pulled on her sky blue peacoat as well as her white knit cap and blue plaid scarf, then turned off the lights and exited the room.

When she reached the living room, her brother approached her.

"Hey, Cass. Ready to go?" Chad asked.

"Yep," she nodded. "I'm going to FAO Schwarz with Skyler, Rider, and, uh… whoever else is going," she said, trying and failing to remember their names.

Audrey shot Zora a look, eyebrows arched as if to say, _"Really? She's one of __**those**__ girls?"_

Zora shrugged and then shouted, "Hey, let's go! We're wasting time!" while rushing everyone out of the building.

* * *

><p>A little over an hour after they'd left, the FAO Schwarz group arrived at the store via limousine.<p>

From the outside, you could see the humongous stuffed animals, electronic train sets, nutcrackers, and other various Christmas themed gifts standing upright in the glass case, all aligned precisely. Bright green wreaths and strands of red, green, and white lights framed the display.

The interior was every child's dream: an endless land of toys.

"I've died and gone to kid heaven," Grady said in awe.

"Me too," Nico nodded, mouth gaping.

"Me three," Damien agreed.

Shayne scanned the massive room, "Me fou—_Lightsabers!_"

He ran off towards the _Star Wars_ section, Matthew, Damien, Nico, and Grady running behind him.

The five left in their initial spot analyzed everything in sight. Cassie panned the room with her camera, capturing the moment.

"There are _so_ many things here that I could incorporate in pranks," Zora whispered.

"Yeah," Audrey, Rider, and Skyler concurred.

The four looked at each other in surprise.

"You guys pull pranks too?" the comedic blonde asked.

"Who _doesn't_?" Rider asked.

The group of five wandered around just browsing for a while, entertained by the odds and ends in the store. The only one who found a potential gift to give for Christmas was Cassie, who found a stuffed animal unicorn for Caleigh.

"Oh! Here's the Nerf section I've been looking for," Skyler remarked as his eyes landed on the coveted sector.

"Let's go!" Zora said as she raced over, Audrey, Cassie, and the two older boys.

"Hmm…" she mused with her back to the others, trying to decide which of the models to try out.

She picked up a medium sized blue and golden gun with a barrel that was filled with ten foam darts and handed an identical one to her best friend.

Smiling deviously, they spun around and shot the boys in the back before grabbing handfuls of darts out of the _"Try me!"_ bin and running away.

"_Hey!_" they exclaimed in harmony.

Rider and Skyler picked up slightly different models that held up to thirty-five darts and sprinted to catch up with the girls. Cassie followed the boys, deciding to film the battle instead of participating.

As they scrambled around, dodging bullets and smaller children, music blared through the speakers in the background.

_There's a special kind of feeling in the air._

"Yeah!" Zora exclaimed, laughing as she shot Skyler right between the eyes.

_It only happens at this time of year_

The expression on Skyler's face said,_ "Oh, now you're gonna get it, Lancaster!"_ while he reloaded his weapon.

_When everyone is filled with love and cheer_

_'Cause that's what matters._

"_First you gotta catch me,"_ her eyes mocked as she dashed off in the opposite direction.

_Pretty paper boxes tied with bows,_

The other boy ran past his friend, chasing after the small blonde girl.

_Walking in the sun or in the snow,_

Rider cornered Audrey with a grin on his face, but she just smirked.

_We can feel the excitement growing, knowing._

Just as he fired at her, she successfully cartwheeled away without damaging her gun.

Shock was written all over his face as she ran to her ally. He paused, thinking for a moment before turning around to face his friend's sister with a mysterious smile.

"Rider Kingston, don't even think about it," she warned, backing up until she was inches away from one of the shelves.

"Oh, c'mon Cass," he said with his Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

"What?" she asked as she subtly wrapped her fingers around one of the remaining Nerf guns behind her back.

"Put the camera away and have some fun!" he replied, aiming his weapon at her.

Quickly, she whipped the toy gun out from behind her and shot Rider square on his forehead.

"Nah, I think I'll keep recording," she laughed, skittering away.

_We can get all cozy by the fire._

His mouth hung open at the girl's trick until Skyler ran by and slapped him upside the head. "Hey!" he shouted, jogged after him.

_Turn the music up a little higher._

Cassie glanced over her shoulder to see if her pursuers were gone and ran straight into a boy about her age. He was a few inches taller than her with dirty blonde hair and blue-green eyes.

_I don't think that I could ever tire_

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, looking at him through the camera, then lowering it a bit.

_Of being together._

"No, it's my fault," he began as he brushed himself off. "Are you okay—" he said, trailing off when they locked eyes.

_Decorate the tree, hang mistletoe,_

_And stand by me._

She stood speechless, almost gawking at him. Up until this point, she had never believed in the _Romeo & Juliet_ "love at first sight" concept. This boy was making her reevaluate it.

_It's a picture perfect moment captured._

_Memories that we'll have after._

Before either could say a word, Cassie spun around, rubbing the back of her head. The tall brunet boy laughed loudly, dashing away.

"Kingston, I'm going to murder you!" she yelled.

Turning around, she lowered her voice to say, "Again, really sorry!" and sprinted after him.

The baffled boy stood staring in the direction in which she had gone. For a few moments, he stood there wondering why he couldn't get her out of his head.

"Demetri! We're leaving now," his mother called.

"Coming, mom," he answered, his gaze landing on something glinting in the light on the floor.

He reached down and picked up a small silver charm with tiny blue stone accents in the shape of a script C. He dropped the charm in his pocket and joined his family, hoping to see the girl on his way out.

_It's the greatest time of year, and it's here_

_Help me celebrate it._

Cassie caught up to Rider and shot him with all the darts she had available, laughing uncontrollably.

_With everybody here, friends so dear_

_Let me simply state it:_

"Ahh!" he yelled, trying to duck. "Skyler, get Cassie!"

_Joy to the world, joy to the world, joy to the world_

She spun around and saw Skyler poised to shoot when, Audrey and Zora came to the rescue.

_It's the greatest time of year_

_It's the greatest time_

Both girls smirked and simultaneously shot at Skyler and then Rider.

_It's the greatest time of year, and it's here._

_Help me celebrate it._

"Whoo!" the three girls exclaimed, exchanging high fives.

_With everybody here, friends so dear_

_Let me simply state it:_

The two boys glanced at each other and smiled, feeling accomplished for uniting the girls.

_Joy to the world and everyone_

_Lift up your hearts and feel the love._

_It's our favorite way, to spend the holiday._

The boys engulfed the group of girls in a monster hug, resulting in the whole lot collapsing onto the floor.

"Okay, okay. Let's find what we want to buy and get out of here before we get kicked out," Cassie laughed, brushing herself off and putting her camcorder away.

They all agreed and branched off to find what they were looking for. Each of the five decided to get a small Nerf gun which was easier to bring home than what they battled with. On the way to the registers, Cassie picked up the stuffed unicorn for Caleigh and met up with the So Random boys. After a half hour of waiting in line to pay, finally they were on their way back to the Windsor.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the three self-acclaimed superior girls had shopped until they were full satisfied with their selections.<p>

"That dark blue dress you bought for the Christmas Eve party: Fabulous! It really brings out your eyes!" Tawni said to Portlyn.

"Your pink one does too, Tawn!" Penelope gushed.

"We'll definitely be the best dressed girls there!" Portlyn said merrily.

"No doubt!" the blonde agreed.

"What about Sonny?" Penelope asked, rolling her eyes.

"Sonny? She'll probably wear something old from Wisconsin. Or if she actually uses some good sense, she'll wear something newer. But it definitely won't be nearly as sophisticated as ours," Tawni said reassuringly.

Portlyn nodded and said, "Hey, do either of you know what time it is?

"Portlyn, you're wearing a watch," Penelope reminded her.

"But I don't understand it! There's too many numbers!" she replied frustratedly.

The brunette sighed and pulled out her phone. "It's 5:30," she said. "We should probably head back and find out what we're going to do for dinner tonight."

"Okay, I'll call the chauffeur to bring the limo around," Tawni said, whipping out her cell phone and dialing the number.

"How am I supposed to remember what each hand tells you?" Portlyn asked confusedly, still on the subject of time.

Penelope pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, hoping their ride would get there quickly.

* * *

><p>"What about this one?" Sonny said, pulling the curtain back and stepping out of the dressing room and into private waiting area exclusively constructed for celebrities.<p>

She was wearing a light green silk-like dress covered in glitter and dark green heels.

Chad glanced up from his phone for a moment and said, "Seven." Really, he would've rated her as a ten for every dress she tried on, but he'd never admit it.

"Seven," Logan agreed.

Luke just shrugged and Chase said, "Six. Green isn't really your color."

Sonny sighed and said, "You guys are worse than Tawni." Then, she slipped back into the dressing room to try on another outfit.

"Dude, you hang out with Skyler too much," Chad said.

"You spend more time with him than I do! Why doesn't he get to you like this?" Chase spat.

"He lives at my house. Nothing he does affects me anymore," the blond replied, returning to his game of Alchemy on his phone.

A few minutes later, Sonny pushed the curtain back again.

"What do you think?"

This time, she wore an ocean blue dress and dark blue ballet flats. Small tassels hung from the hemline of the pleated skirt.

"Eight," Chad replied.

"Eight point five," Logan said, Luke agreeing.

"Eight," Chase nodded.

"Great. Can I stop trying these on now?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Eight is pretty good, but you have to be at least a nine for Condor's gala. You never know who you'll meet there," Chase replied with a superior tone.

She exhaled exasperatedly and went back to try on another dress.

The blond questioningly looked over at the boy in the glasses and said, "I thought that one was fine."

He simply rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, so you _don't_ want to sit here and just stare at her?"

"Shut up," Chad glared.

Chase smirked, "Thought so."

Chad stood up, looking like he was ready to punch the older boy when Logan stood between them and said, "Settle down. You're acting like children."

"He started it," Chad grumbled.

"I don't care. Just knock it off. Both of you," he said, looking at Chad and then Chase.

"Is this one good?" Sonny asked with a bored tone.

The boys all turned to look at her, momentarily in shock. She was wearing a light golden―nearly white―dress with iridescent sparkles and cream colored one inch heels. It was almost as if she was glowing like a light.

"…So?" she prompted.

"Oh. Uh, nine point five," Chad blurted.

Luke looked at Logan with a smile and Logan replied, "Ten."

"Hmm. Nine point eight. Good job, Sonny," Chase said with a small smile.

"Awesome! So I'm done?" she asked, to which they all nodded.

She grinned and headed into the dressing room to change back into her street clothes.

As the other boys gathered their bags, Chad's gaze still lingered over the spot where Sonny had stood.

"Earth to Chad. Here's a tip: Girls don't like guys that drool," Chase teased.

Instantly the blond actor snapped out of the daze and glared in Chase's direction.

"Alright, let's get out of here and go back to the complex. I'm starving," Sonny said as she walked out of the dressing room, holding the dress and making her way to the register line.

* * *

><p>By 6:45, everyone had arrived back at the Windsor building. To their surprise, Hannah had dinner ready for them. She'd been cooking and cleaning for most of the day while Connie and Caleigh decorated the rooms with some old garlands and lights they found.<p>

"Thanks Hannah, you're the best," Chad grinned genuinely.

"And don't you forget it," she said, smiling warmly, handing him a plate.

"So was everyone's shopping trips productive?" Connie asked as she began washing the finished dishes.

"Yep!" they chorused.

"I'm guessing everything you guys bought are a surprise."

The room filled with many answers along the lines of "Yeah, kind of."

"Well, I hope you all have good hiding places then," she smiled.

"If anyone needs help finding a place to hide things, I know some good ones," Caleigh offered. "I spent all day decorating and exploring!"

Everyone chuckled lightly and thanked her before she scampered off to the princess playroom again.

Later that night, the general feeling throughout the floor was calmer than that morning. Everyone settled down and found something to do.

Sonny decided to practice the piano inside the studio room. From the outside, soft melodic notes could be heard drifting through the hall.

In the Mackenzie Falls boys' room sat Skyler. He was rearranging his things in his section of dressers while singing along to Phantom of the Opera playing through his iPod speakers.

Audrey and Zora scurried throughout the whole floor, scattering their miniscule spy equipment in subtle places while marking them on a map so they could gather them later.

In the game room sat the usual crowd, plus Rider, Logan, Chase, and Chad.

As the So Random and Mackenzie Falls boys alternated for the next round of Mario Karts, Chad got up from his beanbag chair and said, "I'm gonna go check on my sisters. Someone else can go instead."

He strode down the hall, admiring all the Christmas decorations. He knocked on the pink door and slowly pushed it open when he heard the little girl's voice say, "Who is it?"

"Hello, Princess Caleigh," he smiled.

"Hi, Knight Chaddy!" she said enthusiastically. "You're just in time for the tea party!"

"Oh, really? I'm sorry, Princess. I just came by to make sure your castle is okay," he said apologetically, kneeling down on the floor.

"Oh, it's very safe. There was a nasty dragon that stopped outside earlier, but Knight Logan got rid of him," she said seriously.

"He did? Did he slay the dragon?" the older boy asked.

"Nope. He just gave him some fried Kool Aid and the dragon left!" she giggled, twirling around.

"Dragons like fried Kool Aid?" Chad inquired.

"No, silly. Just Spencer," she said, tapping his head with a fairy princess wand.

"How did you know that?"

"Nickasauralex told me!"

He tilted his head a bit, raising an eyebrow. "Nickasauralex?"

"Yeah! He's over there," she pointed to open space.

"Oh, I see," he nodded, silently acknowledging Caleigh's new imaginary friend.

"Mhm!" she beamed, running back over to the castle structure.

"Alright, well have fun, Princess. I'll be with the other Knights in the living room if you need me, okay?"

"Okay! Bye, Knight Chaddy!" she waved as he left the room.

Continuing down the hall, he arrived at the slightly ajar, splatter-paint covered door. He knocked gently, pushing open.

Cassie looked over her shoulder and said, "Oh. Hey, Dylan."

"Hey, Cass. Luke," Chad greeted.

At the sound of their voices, Luke looked up and nodded to Chad.

Chad took a glimpse at what Luke was sketching, then strode over to where Cassie was at the computer. She had a picture of FAO Schwarz's exterior open and was touching it up with Photoshop.

"That's pretty good. Did you take that picture?" he asked, impressed.

"Mhm. Right after we got out of the limo," she replied.

"Oh, cool. So you had a good time?"

"Yep," she began. "Rider, Skyler, Audrey, Zora, and I had a Nerf gun battle," she grinned.

"Ahh, sounds like fun," he smiled, ruffling her hair.

"Hey, what did I say about touching the hair?" she reminded him, swatting his hand away.

From across the room, Luke chuckled under his breath, noticing the similarities between the brother and sister.

The tall blond turned around, examining the room. He tried to understand how this room could be intriguing to anyone when he heard his sister gasp softly.

Whirling around, he heard her say, "Oh no… Nonono, please be somewhere around here," as she looked around the desk area and floor."

"What's wrong?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"I think I lost one of the charms on my bracelet…"

"Oh? Which one? I can get you a new one," he said reassuringly.

"No… You can't. It's the one dad gave me when I first got the bracelet," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"The one he told you was one of a kind?"

"Yes," she said quietly, resting her head in her hands.

He patted her back gently and said, "I'm really sorry, Cassie."

"It's not your fault. I should've been more careful with it," she sighed.

"We'll get you a new one sometime, alright?"

She nodded and turned back around as he left the room. Yawning, she saved the picture before shutting down the program and computer.

When she reached the door, she paused to look over her shoulder. "G'night, Luke."

He peered out from behind the easel he was working on and softly said, "Good night, Cassie."

She stood at the door for a few seconds, just smiling, before continuing on towards the bedroom to start getting ready for bed.

After checking on Cassie, Chad decided to make one last visit before returning to his friends. When he heard the piano music wafting down the corridor, he knew that's where Sonny was.

He turned the doorknob, not bothering to knock, knowing that she wouldn't hear it. When she saw the door open, Sonny looked up from the piano keys.

Chad approached her at the piano and said, "Hey, Sonny."

"Hey. What's up?" she asked.

"Skyler and I are taking Caleigh and Cassie to see the Nutcracker ballet tomorrow. We have an extra ticket and I was wondering if you'd want to come…" he explained.

"Yeah, I'd love to," she nodded, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem," he answered. "The show starts at 6:00 PM, so I guess we'll leave around 4:30 or 5:00."

"Sounds good."

"Good," he nodded.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine," she said with a soft smirk, turning her attention back to the piano.

When Chad reentered the living room with a smile on his face, Chase commented, "Well, someone's awfully smiley. What were you doing?"

Chad just replied with, "Oh nothing," and then settled into his beanbag chair again.

**A/N: ...The boys think you should review this chapter. I would not defy them if I were you.**


	4. Chapter 4

_December 20th_

The next day, no one really wanted to go anywhere. They were all occupied with things they had bought the day before. Instead, Connie and Hannah went out into the city to go Christmas shopping.

Most of the day was uneventful until early afternoon.

Sonny had decided to bake cookies from scratch, with the help of Caleigh.

"Okay, Caleigh. Can you hand me the wooden spoon?" she asked the younger girl, smiling warmly.

"Here it is!" she giggled, pulling it out from behind her back.

"Thank you!" Sonny said, taking it, scraping the last bits of cookie dough from the bowl.

As she and Caleigh finished placing the dough on the fourth large tray they'd made, the blond actor with bright blue eyes entered the living room. He smiled softly at the girls, who had flour all over their faces. Chuckling to himself, he pulled out his phone and backed up. Quickly, he snapped a picture of the two girls hard at work, rearranging dough on the three remaining trays, without them noticing he was there.

"Sonny," he said curtly as he approached them, looking at Sonny the way he always did.

"Chad," she said, mimicking his tone and returning the same gaze.

"Caleigh!" the bubbly 6-year-old added as she rinsed herself off at the sink.

A few moments later, Sonny's phone vibrated on the far end of the counter. She rinsed off her hands and wiped them with a rag before picking up her phone.

She opened the text from Twitter which read, _"__**TheGreatCDC: **__Hahaha, look at the two little Christmas elves hard at work in the kitchen" _followed by a link to the picture of herself and Caleigh.

"Really? 'Little Christmas elves'?" she asked skeptically, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, you're baking cookies. And you _are_ both short," he shrugged, which made her scowl.

"The far more interesting question is: do you get my tweets sent to your phone?" he smirked.

The brunette's face reddened beyond her control. "Everyone who I follow is on my mobile updates," she explained.

Just as Chad opened his mouth to make another smart comment, the smoke detector went off. Sonny whipped around to see black smoke seeping out of the oven.

Instinctively, she gently shoved Caleigh in Chad's general direction and grabbed an oven mitt while turning off the oven. Then she took the fire extinguisher from where it was mounted on the wall and aimed it at the oven as she pulled the door open. Chad pushed his sister towards the living room as he took one of the girl's magazines and fanned the smoke away from the smoke detector, finally silencing it.

Everyone began flooding into the living room, asking what happened.

"Oh nothing happened. Sonny just set some cookies on fire," Chad answered nonchalantly.

"I did not!" she defended. "You and your tweet distracted me!"

"Sure, blame the first person to walk in," he scoffed in return.

She pressed her lips into a firm line and wordless took the tray of blackened, foam covered cookies out of the oven, dumping them into the trash can as her friends returned to their activities. She was just about to place the dirty tray into the sink when Chad took it from her hands instead. Surprised, she watched as he began rinsing it, along with the other dishes in the sink. She raised an eyebrow, merely observing the situation. She never thought she'd see the day when Chad Dylan Cooper washed the dishes.

As Chad cleaned up the dishes and utensils, Sonny sanitized the oven. After about twenty minutes, she placed one of the three remaining trays into the oven. The pair watched them carefully, leaning back on the kitchen island, looking for signs of burning cookies.

Just then, Chase walked into the kitchen to get something to drink. He paused when he saw the two speaking civilly. Smiling deviously, he whipped out his phone and snapped a picture just as his friend had done before.

Right after Chase had exited the kitchen, both Sonny's and Chad's phones buzzed. Sonny left hers alone, not wanting to take her eyes off the oven. Chad glanced at the screen of his phone, reading a tweet from the boys' joint Twitter account, _"__**Falls_Boys: **__Amazing. They're not fighting. Did I miss the wedding or something? –Chase" _linked with the picture.

Without saying a word, Chad replied to his tweet.

"_**TheGreatCDC:**__ I am going to get you for that, Alteau. Falls_Boys"_

When the timer went off, Chad stood upright and slipped on the oven mitt to take the tray out. Setting it on the table, Sonny handed him the next tray. Confident that the cookies wouldn't burn, Sonny sat down at the table and picked up her phone. She proceeded to read her newest updates and rolled her eyes.

"_**SonnyIsSunny: **__What is it with you guys and creeping on people baking? TheGreatCDC Falls_Boys"_

By the time all of the cookies were finished baking, everyone had congregated in the living, waiting for Sonny to give her okay for them to eat.

After about 20 minutes of cooling, Sonny looked at the clock and said, "Okay, you can each have one now._ But_ only one for now."

Each person happily snatched one from the tray and devoured it.

Taking one bite of the cookie, Zora said, "Oh my _gosh_! These are incredible, Sonny!"

"Thanks!" she beamed. "I did have some help," she grinned at Caleigh.

"Ooh! Me! I helped!" the little girl shouted, taking another bite of her cookie, laughter filled the room.

As Sonny began placing the leftover cookies into containers, the group disbanded, only after each had finished their cookie, begged for another one, and was denied.

About an hour later, Connie and Hannah arrived back at the apartment complex.

"Something smells unbelievably good in here! Did someone bake something?" Hannah asked, setting her bags on the floor.

"Sonny and Caleigh did," Chad blurted.

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the boy, wondering what had gotten into him. Why had he given her the credit instead of claiming it for himself? Wasn't that the boy she always knew?

"You baked cookies?" her mother asked, smiling proudly.

She nodded in return, "Yep. We used grandma's recipe and added a few things in."

Taking a container off the counter, she opened the lid and held it out for the two women to try one.

Each gingerly picked one out and took a bite. Wide grins spread across their faces as they savored the taste.

"These are amazing, Sonny! You and Caleigh did a great job!" the housekeeper complimented.

"Thank you!" she replied happily, placing the container back with the others.

Looking at the clock, the blond said, "We'd better get ready to go or we'll be late."

"Where are you two headed off to? A date or something?" Connie joked, taking another bite of her cookie.

The two teens froze for a moment, their eyes meeting awkwardly before Sonny corrected her.

"Skyler, Chad, and I are taking Caleigh and Cassie to see the Nutcracker ballet."

"Oh," she said, smiling mischievously. "Well, I hope you all have fun!"

"Thank you. I'm sure we will," Chad replied before briskly out of the room.

Sonny shot her mother a look that said, _"Please, don't __**ever**__ bring that up again."_

She smiled innocently in reply as her daughter left the room to gather her things before leaving for the ballet.

Meanwhile, after Chad had exited the kitchen, he made his way down the hall to the art studio to meet Cassie.

He poked his head inside the room and nodded _"S'up?"_ to Luke, who shrugged and said, "Cassie, your brother's here."

The older blond seemed surprised that the 17-year-old spoke to her, since he was very shy around new people.

Turning around in her chair, Cassie said, "Oh, hey Dylan."

"Hey, Cass. I'm on my way to tell Caleigh about that surprise. Get ready to go."

"Okay, give me five minutes," she answered, swiveling back around in her chair to save her work on the computer.

"Alright," he said, leaving to find his best friend.

"Why do you call him Dylan?" Luke asked.

Turning around to face him, she said, "Chad Dylan Cooper is famous. So is Chad. Dylan isn't. The brother I know isn't famous. People just love him for who he is."

"Oh. That makes sense," he nodded with a smile, returning to his sketchbook.

After stopping to remind Cassie, Chad knocked on the bedroom door of the room he shared with the guys and heard Skyler say, "Come in!"

Standing in the door way, he said, "Hey, we gotta go soon."

"Where are we going again?" Skyler asked with a questioning look.

"Lincoln Center. You said you'd come with me to take the girls to see the Nutcracker."

"You were serious about that?" Skyler groaned.

"Yes. And you're not going to bail and leave me with Sonny and the girls."

Skyler looked at him quizzically and smirked, "I would've thought you'd like that idea."

"Shut up and get ready," Chad muttered, shutting the door as his friend laughed.

Continuing down the hall, he reached the pink door, now covered with a sign reading, "Princess Caleigh's Unicorn Land: No bad guys allowed!" obviously written by one of the older boys.

He smiled softly at her innocence and knocked.

"Who is it?" she said in a sing-song voice.

"It's your big brother. Can I come in?"

He heard quick footfalls from inside before the door swung open.

"Hi!" she said enthusiastically with a toothy grin.

"Hello, Princess. I have a surprise for you," he grinned, crouching down to her level.

"Ooh, ooh! What is it?" she demanded, jumping around the room.

"First, you have to clean up the castle. Then, come meet me in the living room," he replied, gesturing to the toys scattered around the room.

"Okay!" she nodded, scampering around and throwing things back into their toy bins.

A few minutes later, Sonny, Skyler, Cassie, and Chad were greeted by Caleigh, who was eager to leave.

"I finished cleaning the castle! Can we go now?"

"Mhm," Skyler smiled, handing Chad her bright pink coat.

After Chad helped her put it on, Sonny said, "C'mon, Princess Caleigh. Your ride awaits!"

When the five reached the lobby, Caleigh ran a bit ahead to the door and said, "Chaddy! Cassie! Look at all this snow!"

The doorman smiled and held the door open as they all followed her.

Parked out front was a black stretch limousine, finely dusted with snow. When they were all piled inside, Sonny shouted up to the driver, "Lincoln Center please!"

"You got it," he nodded, pulling away from the building.

"Is this a limo, Chaddy?" Caleigh said, looking out at the bustling city.

"Yes it is, Caleigh."

"Oh, yay! You always get out of limos when I see you on TV," she said matter-of-factly.

"She doesn't watch you on Mackenzie Falls?" Sonny asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Nah," Cassie answered, rolling her eyes. "He's put it on for her, but she doesn't seem interested in it. She likes to see him on the awards shows though."

"Huh. Chad Dylan Cooper's youngest sister doesn't watch Mackenzie Falls, but loves So Random. That's some very interesting information. There are a lot of people out there who would _love_ to know something like this," she smirked.

"You wouldn't dare," Chad smirked back, knowing very well she wouldn't.

"Wouldn't dare what?" Caleigh asked, looking up at him with her head cocked to the side like a puppy.

"Oh, nothing. Don't listen to them, they're just flirting," Skyler snickered, ruffling her hair.

"We are not," both chorused, turning their heads towards him, then back out to their windows.

The remainder of the ride to Lincoln Center was uncomfortably quiet, at least for the four teens. Caleigh gleefully pointed out everything she saw, amused by the tiniest things.

"Oh, look! They have a puppy dog! Aww, I want a puppy! Can we get a puppy?"

"I'm allergic to puppies, Caleigh."

"No you're not," Cassie scoffed.

"…Shut up, Cassie."

"Chaddy, pretty please can we get a puppy—Oh! What are they doing over there, Chaddy?"

"...Skyler—"

"Yeah, I got it," the older boy replied, covering Caleigh's eyes with his hand.

"Hey! I can't see!"

"That's the point, kiddo," he said with a look of disgust.

"And I thought downtown Los Angeles was bad," Sonny mumbled quietly to herself.

When the limo came to a stop, the driver rolled down the divider separating the two sections and called, "Here we are! Just call me when you're ready to leave."

"Thank you!" Caleigh chirped, hopping out onto the curb.

Once everyone was on the sidewalk, she asked, "Where are we? What's the surprise?"

"Alright, alright. Since you've been such a good girl, we're going to see your favorite ballet," Chad grinned.

"The Nutcracker? Oh goody!" she exclaimed, skipping ahead blissfully in the snow as they followed her.

"She's been to a ballet before?" Sonny asked, straightening out her jacket.

Cassie shook her head and shrugged, lowering her camcorder to look at Sonny, "We have a video of it though. She watches it every year around Christmas time. I swear I'll never get the music out of my head."

Sonny smiled to herself, reevaluating her impression of Chad. Was he really as much as a jerk as he led everyone to believe? She the trip had began, she was starting to believe otherwise.

* * *

><p>Forty-five minutes later, the five were seated in the middle of the center seating section. From their seats, they could see the whole stage perfectly. The rows were angled so even the smallest viewers like Caleigh could see over the heads of the people in front of them.<p>

"When does it start, Cassie?" Caleigh said, tugging on her sister's sleeve.

"If they start on time, two minutes," she replied, shoving the camcorder into it's case.

"Yay!" she smiled excitedly.

"Shh," Chad advised. "During the performance, if you want to say something, you have to whisper, alright?"

"Okay," she nodded seriously, speaking softly.

"That's my girl," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you excited, Caleigh?" the brunette asked her.

"Mhm! I've never seen a _real_ ballet before."

"Me neither. I'm sure it'll be great," she grinned back at the little girl.

Before they could say another word, the lights began to dim and the audience applauded. As the orchestra began the score, the audience fell silent, captivated by the scenery before them.

The ballet began with two small children sitting before a large door, looking bored and tired.

"This is the Silberhaus' house. These are the Silberhaus children, Marie and Fritz. It is Christmas Eve," a voice narrated through the speakers.

"Ooh, she has a pretty name," Caleigh whispered softly.

"What's going on in the other room?" he asked as the small ballerina pantomimed what was happening.

The screen used to portray the door lit up, revealing a large Christmas tree being decorated in the other room.

"Ahh yes! The tree!"

"Can we get a tree like that, Chaddy?" she asked softly, tugging on her brother's sleeve lightly.

"Maybe later. Now, pay attention," he replied quietly.

As she turned her attention back to the stage and listened, watching Marie, Fritz, and more dancers arrived in the main room.

Soon, each actor, no matter how small, was dancing across the stage gracefully, decorating the tree.

When the grandfather clock struck eight, the lights dimmed once again, and another figure entered the room.

"Who's that?" Caleigh asked her sister.

"Shh… You remember, don't you?" Cassie replied.

The audience watched intensely as the man was revealed to be Marie's and Fritz's godfather, Drosselmeyer.

The child dancers gathered around him and his nephew as mysterious boxes were brought in. The boxes were opened, containing dancers depicting wind-up toys. They danced across the stage, miming the movement of the real things.

When the wind-up toys ceased to move, Drosselmeyer gave Fritz and Marie their presents. Fritz received a wooden horse, while Marie was given a beautifully decorated nutcracker. Fritz and Marie chased each other nimbly across the stage, fighting over the nutcracker.

Caleigh gasped sharply when the object crashed to the floor and broke, but sighed with relief when Drosselmeyer repaired it for Marie.

As the party ended, the scene shifted to that night, when Marie is asleep. Near midnight, she awakes to retrieve her nutcracker doll from cradle where she had left it. When the clock struck twelve, she saw Drosselmeyer perched where a wooden owl used to be.

Suddenly, the Christmas tree began to grow. The audience gaped at the tree, now at least three times the original size.

"Can we get a tree that grows like that?" the naive child asked, looking up at her brother in awe.

He didn't answer, eyes fixed on the stage, watching as the mouse army assembled on the stage, scaring Marie into hiding.

Caleigh clutched onto his arm, only half hiding her eyes from the scary Mouse King. He kissed the top of her head and allowed her to keep holding on.

As the gingerbread men and mice fought around Marie, Chad glanced over at Skyler, Cassie, and Sonny.

Skyler and Sonny had their eyes fixated on the stage, watching every move intently, while Cassie was looking down at her phone to quickly check the time.

Turning his attention back to the stage, Chad watched as the Nutcracker Prince came to life and battled the Mouse King. After several minutes of intense fighting, Marie threw her slipper at the Mouse King, distracting him so the Nutcracker Prince could finish him off.

The Nutcracker Prince thanked Marie and the two traveled offstage as the scenery changed.

Soon, they arrived in a forest blanketed with snow. There, the snow faeries elegantly pirouetted and waltzed across the clearing through the glistening snow.

Cassie sighed softly to herself, murmuring, "And now I kind of wish I wouldn't have quit ballet…"

The story progressed with Nutcracker Prince turning out to be Drosselmeyer's nephew and the Sugar Plum Fairy leading the pair back to the castle. There, various dancers dressed as exotic foods frolicked about, putting on a show for the prince and his new princess.

In the end when Marie and the Prince are crowned rulers of the Land of Sweets, Caleigh grinned widely. Of course, Marie couldn't stay, so she and her prince left the Land of Sweets to return home.

At the very end of the ballet, the whole audience stood to give the dancers a standing ovation. Caleigh wildly jumped in place as she applauded.

After the ballet dancers received their final applause, everyone began to gather their things, getting ready to leave.

"So, how did everyone like the ballet?" Sonny asked with a grin.

"I loved it!" Caleigh giggled.

"Amazing," Cassie agreed, recording her sister twirling around, trying to mimic a ballerina.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," Skyler smiled sheepishly.

"What about you, Chad?" the brunette prompted.

He shrugged indifferently, "It was a'ight, I guess."

"Liar," Cassie said, punching her older brother on the arm. "You _so_ liked it."

"Shut up!" he said, ruffling her hair.

As she tried to straighten it out, Sonny called their chauffeur.

After five minutes of arguing over if Chad enjoyed the show or not, he suggested, "We should go see if he's there yet," to which they all agreed.

Right as they stepped out of the building, a mob of reporters and paparazzi swarmed around the five. Immediately, Caleigh hid behind her brother. Cassie kept her head down low, and put in her headphones, blasting the music to block out their nosy questions. Sonny simply kept her eyes forward and refused to answer.

When they group could take no more steps, Chad turned around and picked up Caleigh. She hid her face in his neck as he pulled her hood up over her head. Skyler rested his hand on Cassie's back, gently guiding her after her brother as he muttered obscenities under his breath. Finally, they made it to the limo relatively unscathed.

"Everyone alright back there?" the driver asked before pulling away from curb.

"Yeah, we're good," Chad nodded, stroking Caleigh's hair.

As the limousine left the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, the boy with dirty blond hair and blue-green eyes was standing in the entrance, watching carefully.

He thought he had seen the blonde girl from FAO Schwarz. A few moments later, he waved the idea off and returned to the building in search of his mother and little sisters. As he waited for them in the front hall, he continued contemplating, running his finger over the charm in his pocket. Was it her? No, this girl wasn't with those boys or girls he had seen with her before. And why were those reporters crowding her and her friends? Were they movie stars he hadn't recognized?

"_No…" _he thought._ "It couldn't have been her… __**Could it?**__"_

* * *

><p>"Hey guys! How was the ballet?" Hannah asked when the group of five arrived back at the apartment an hour later.<p>

"It was amazing," Sonny smiled, hanging up her coat in the closet.

"Yeah, up until we got mobbed on the way out," Cassie said sarcastically, taking off her hat and smoothing down her hair.

"Who mobbed you?" Connie asked, walking out of the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea.

"A lot of mean people with big cameras!" Caleigh said, frowning angrily.

"Oh," she nodded.

Hannah shook her head disappointedly, "They should leave you alone when you're on vacation."

"That's the price of being famous," Skyler shrugged.

"Alright, I _think_ it's someone's bedtime," Chad said, resting his hand on Caleigh's shoulder.

"Aww, but that's no fun!" she pouted.

"C'mon, Princess. You need the energy if you want to keep ruling Unicorn Land."

"Oh, it's not Unicorn Land anymore!" she stated seriously.

"Oh? What is it then?" Sonny asked curiously.

"It's the Land of Sweets, just like Marie's kingdom!" she grinned.

"Either way, a princess needs her sleep," he said with a stern smile.

Sighing dramatically, she nodded and ran out of the room to get ready for bed.

* * *

><p>Later in the night around 2 AM, the little girl woke up close to tears. Looking around cautiously, she climbed out of bed and crept down the hall looking for her brother or sister.<p>

The first room she came to was the art studio. Pushing the door open, she peered in, hoping to see Cassie inside. Instead, Luke was sitting in front of the computer, typing something, while a half finished canvas sat on an easel on the other side the room. Hearing her sniffle, he turned around and looked at her.

"Do you know where Chaddy is? Or Cassie?" she asked quietly, rubbing her eyes as she approached him.

He shook his head and paused before saying, "I think they're both asleep."

"Oh…" she said, turning to leave.

"Wait a second," he said a bit louder.

She stopped walking and turned back towards him.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I had a bad dream…" she said, inching closer to him.

He held his arms out for her, gesturing for her to come closer. She held her arms up and he picked her up, placing her on his lap.

"What was the bad dream about?"

"There were these big, scary mice with mean cameras chasing me…"

"Oh," he nodded knowingly. "Your brother told us about the paparazzi mobbing you guys tonight."

She closed her eyes and sniffled a bit. Pulling a tissue out of the box, he handed it to her and said, "There are no mice or cameras here. Nothing is going to hurt you, okay?"

When she nodded, he stood up and slowly carried her back to her room. He placed her back onto the bed and gently pulled the covers over her.

Just as he was about to leave, she whispered, "Can you stay until I fall asleep? Chaddy always does when I have a bad dream…"

Nodding, Luke pulled a chair over next to her bed and sat down. Holding onto his hand, she quietly said, "Good night, Luke."

A faint smile spread across his face and he whispered, "Good night, Caleigh," as she began drifting off to sleep.

**A/N: Spencer ran away and now Caleigh is sad. He agreed to come back if you review this chapter... Do it for Caleigh?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ...We are just going to totally disregard the fact that most New York schools have not started holiday break yet. (Have they? Correct me if I'm wrong.) I totally did not even think of that when I was writing. Oh well. Mini plot holes = mini magical NaNo!rabbits.**

December_ 21st_

Bright and early the next morning as everyone consumed their breakfast, Sonny received a text message from Mr. Condor.

"_Don't forget, I've scheduled a meet and greet for you all today in Central park at 3. –Mr. Condor"_ she read aloud.

"Ugh, it's freezing outside," Chad grumbled, sipping his cup coffee, still not quite fully awake.

"Well, you better wear a jacket then," she smirked, tousling his hair as she walked by.

He grimaced and smoothed down his hair as Cassie asked, "What should Caleigh and I do while you're all gone?"

"You girls, Connie, and I could all go to the Central Park zoo if you'd like," Hannah suggested. "I heard it's pretty fun."

"Ooh, yeah! I want to go to the zoo! Can we go Cassie? Pretty please?" Caleigh pleaded with wide eyes.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and nodded, "Oh, alright."

"Okay, now, that's settled. What time do you suppose the meet and greet will be over?" Connie questioned.

Everyone shrugged and murmured amongst themselves.

"It really depends on how many people show up," Logan said as he took his plate to the sink to be washed.

"And considering it's New York City…" Skyler added.

Shayne sighed, "We're in for a long afternoon."

"Oh, come on, guys. It won't be that bad. Don't you want to meet them as much as I do?" Sonny said, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not that we don't…" Grady began.

"It's just that we don't want to in the snow…" Nico finished.

"Do you want to tell that to Mr. Condor?" she asked in a threatening tone.

They all sighed and griped as they finished off the rest of their food before deciding what they would do before the meet & greet.

Not surprisingly, Tawni, Penelope, and Portlyn would go shopping again. Zora, Audrey, Matthew, Damien, and Shayne wanted to visit the American Museum of Natural History while Logan, Luke, Rider, Chase, Skyler, Chad, and Sonny would take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Having to choose between the two so called "snooze-fests," Nico and Grady chose the natural history museum.

About a half hour later, Connie said, "Okay, everybody, get outta here," as she herded everyone out.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Audrey gasped, taking in her surroundings. From every side, there was a hallway branching off to a different section. Placed near the entrances were small replicas of what the hallway led to.<p>

"Look at this place!" Zora gasped in awe of all the incredible exhibits set up around them.

"This is so cool," Nico and Grady agreed happily.

"Says the guys who called it a snooze-fest," Zora said, raising an eyebrow to which they just shrugged.

"Where should we go first?" Shayne asked them. "Planetarium, dinosaurs, or—"

"Dinosaurs!" Nico, Grady, Damien, and Matthew shouted in unison, racing towards the stairs, the girls following closely behind him.

Meanwhile, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mackenzie Falls boys and Sonny wandered around, examining the works of art. Luke seemed the most interested out of the group, though Sonny and Chase did admire a few of the paintings.

"What's this supposed to be?" Rider asked, gesturing to a misshapen sculpture.

"It's an abstract sculpture that's supposed to express confusion," Luke said, reading the plaque beside it.

"Oh. Well it worked. I'm confused," Rider said, tossing his hacky sack up in the air.

"What the hell, Kingston? Are you insane?" Chase whispered sharply, snatching the toy out of the air. "You're going to break something!"

"Give it back, Alteau! I'm not going to hit anything," Rider hissed, reaching for it.

Chase struggled to keep it out of his reach when Sonny passed them, plucking it from Chase's hand and said, "Thank you."

The boys both stopped and looked at her, blinking.

"You'll get it back once we leave," she explained, rolling her eyes.

She flounced ahead with Skyler towards the Vincent Van Gogh section, leaving the boys half gaping after her.

"Oh, stop drooling," Logan remarked, laughing under his breath as he followed her, Skyler, and Luke.

As the boys drifted along behind her, she admired the paintings up close. In particular, she hung around the sunflower vase painting.

"Of course you'd like the sunflowers," Skyler chuckled.

"Yeah, well…" she replied with a sad smile.

He glanced over at her quizzically, "Is something the matter?"

"No… It's just…" she began, hesitating to take a breath.

"Take your time. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to—"

"They remind me of my dad…" she whispered, smiling faintly. "He would always buy my sunflowers on my birthday, before…" she stopped, choking on her words.

Skyler nodded and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. You don't have to say anything else."

She nodded, slowly moving onto the next painting.

Sighing loudly, Chad entered the small room last and said, "I don't understand what the big deal is with these paintings. I mean like these flowers." He gestured in the general direction of the sunflowers. "They're just flowers. You can buy them any time. Why paint a picture of them when you have the real thing?"

Without another word, Sonny exited the room, fearing that she would lose control of her emotions.

"…What's up with her?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards the direction she left.

"Dude, your timing is terrible," Rider answered, shaking his head.

The rest of the boys trailed after her, leaving a very confused blond standing alone in a room full of misunderstood paintings.

Moving on to the nest section, Sonny paused to take a look around the nest room. Hanging on the right-hand wall was a depiction of an autumn forest. She was drawn toward the brilliant shades of golden yellow painted on the canvas. To the left of the painting was a silver plaque.

"The Road Not Taken," she read aloud.

"Ah, yes," Chase's voice said from behind her.

"Two roads diverged in a wood," he began reciting.

Smiling, she continued, "And I―I took the one less traveled by."

Joining in with her, they chorused, "And that has made all the difference."

They grinned softly at each other as Chad approached them, saying, "What's got you two nerds so smiley all of a sudden?"

"Don't worry about it. Your intellectual capacity and attention span are too underdeveloped to comprehend it," the other boy replied. "Not to mention, you wouldn't appreciate it anyways."

"Try me," the blond said, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms across his chest.

"Not that it's even any of your business, but Chase and I were sharing our interest in poetry," the brunette countered.

"Wow, that is boring," he scoffed, rolling his eyes and turning on his heel to leave.

"C'mon guys, let's get out of here. It's almost time to go anyways," Chad said, leading the group out.

Looking back at Chase, she sighed, "I don't know why I even try anymore," before walking after the boys.

Following behind her, Chase pushed his glasses back into place and murmured, "Well, I do. Isn't it obvious?"

* * *

><p>Around 2:30 in the afternoon, the actors and actresses arrived at Central Park in, more or less, a good mood.<p>

Tween Weekly arranged the meet and greet, so naturally there were red banners with the words "Meet & Greet with the casts of Mackenzie Falls and So Random hosted by Tween Weekly News" all over the park.

When they arrived, several lines were already formed beginning near the entrance of the Central Park Summerstage.

"There sure are a lot of fans here today," Sonny remarked softly under her breath.

"No kidding," Chase murmured.

Just then, a girl about Logan's age approached the stars. "Hello! My name is Julia and I'm an intern for Tween Weekly. Big fan of both shows, by the way," she grinned. "Now, they said that Mackenzie Falls will be at those two tables," she said pointing to the left. "And So Random will be over there," she gestured to the other side of the stage area.

"Okay, thanks!" Audrey said, racing Zora over to the So Random area as the two groups split, heading to their respective tables.

"Hello everyone!" Julia said into a microphone, sending her voice through the PA system. "Who thinks I should start the meet and greet now?"

A loud roar erupted from the crowd of children and young teenagers.

"I can't hear you! I don't think you're ready."

This little game went on for about another minute or so before she finally said, "Alright, alright. I think you're all ready now. Here we go!"

She gave the security guards their cue and the lines began to flow.

Most of the younger children gravitated towards So Random while the older teens were in line to meet Mackenzie Falls.

"Hi!" a little brunet boy appeared to be a little younger than Caleigh chirped.

"Hey, kiddo!" Shayne smiled as he scribbled his signature on the picture, then handing it to one of his friends. "What's up?"

"I love So Random! I watch it every day as soon as I get home from kindergarten," he cried with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Awesome, man!" Damien chuckled, passing the picture to someone else. "What's your favorite sketch?"

"Um, I like Rufus because he always has funny excuses," he nodded seriously.

"Whoo!" Matthew beamed, holding out his fist. The little boy bumped fists with him and then happily ran back to his family.

Over at Mackenzie Falls' tables, it was a group of three preteen girls' turn to meet their idols.

"Oh my gosh, I cannot even believe we are here right now," the redheaded one said, beaming.

"Well, you better believe it, 'cause you are," Rider said with a smirk that nearly melted her into a puddle.

"This is just amazing. I never thought I'd ever be meeting any of you!" her strawberry-blonde friend grinned.

"Like I always say, dreams can come true," Chad said, winking at them.

"When have you ever said that?" Chase asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He hasn't. Sonny has," Skyler answered, smirking.

"Sonny, as in Sonny Munroe?" the blonde questioned, tilting her head to the side, looking a bit like a puppy.

Logan smiled at her and nodded, signing her picture and handing it off to Luke.

"Oh! Speaking of Sonny Munroe, are you dating her?" the brunette girl asked, giggling softly.

"Nope, sorry," Chad replied, seeing the girls' faces fall. "Why do you ask?"

"Tween Weekly said you are," the redhead said with a bit of a frown on her face.

Rolling his eyes, Chase stated, "Don't always believe what you read in the tabloids. They're only correct about 80% of the time."

"Okay," the girls chorused, giggling uncontrollably as they moved down the line towards Luke, who looked rather uncomfortable with the whole meet and greet idea.

After about an hour or so, the intern made an announcement.

"May I have your attention please? We're going to take a short break before resuming the meet and greet. Thank you for your patience!" she said through the speakers.

Sighing, Chad took a swig of water from his bottle and remarked, "Why do all the tabloids insist on trying to force me and Sonny together?"

Little did he know, she was approaching their table as the words left his mouth.

"I mean like… It'll never happen. I just don't see how it could ever work," he shrugged. "Not that I would want it to," he said defensively, trying to keep his real emotions from showing.

From behind his back, Sonny had heard every last word Chad had said about her. Promptly turning on her heel, she briskly walked off and away from their tables, faking a smile as she passed the long lines of fans.

The boys facing him watched as she fled the Summerstage. Glancing at his friends, Chase set down his book on the table and got to his feet, sighing loudly.

"I'm just going to go get some fresh air," he lied, striding off after her.

"What? We're already outside," Chad stated confusedly as he turned around, watching.

"Clearly," Chase shouted, not bothering to pause and turn around.

When he was sure he was out of their view, he broke out into a power walk to catch up with Sonny.

"Sonny," he called, gaining on her.

At the sound of his voice, she slowed down and waited for him, still holding her head low.

Joining her, he caught his breath before saying, "He didn't mean it. Not really."

"How do you know?" she asked quietly. "Did he tell you?"

"No, but I just know. And so do the rest of the guys. Heck, I'm sure Portlyn even knows it," he replied with a faint smile.

Glancing up at the boy beside her with tears threatening to spill, she cried, "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm sure because I know him. Chad is a very… complex individual. He'll say he wants something, but he really wants the opposite."

"He does?"

Nodding, he straightened his glasses, "Doesn't everyone?"

Letting her hair fall over her eyes, she allowed her gaze to drop to the snow covered ground.

After a few minutes of complete and utter silence, she tucked her hair back behind her ears and whispered, "I don't know why I get so upset over him. I honestly don't care… Or at least I don't think I do…"

"Maybe that's just something you need to mull over for a while. I know he certainly needs to as well, but he never listens to my input," Chase shrugged.

A weak smile spread across her lips as she thought for a moment and then raised her head again.

She gasped softly, taking in her surroundings. All around the pair was a long pathway blanketed with white, fluffy snow that glistened in the sunlight. Above them was a canopy of trees, lightly dusted with snow. Wooden benches and fences lined the path, along with the lampposts. As more snow fell, giddy children scampered about, trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Chase smiled, sliding his hands into his pockets.

Unable to form a coherent sentence, the brunette comedienne simply nodded, gaping.

He laughed softly under his breath and said, "The view is just as beautiful from every other angle. We should head back to the stage."

She followed as he turned around to trek back to the meet and greet.

"Y'know, you're not as uncaring as you try to seem," she smiled.

"Oh?" he said in a surprised tone.

"You always act so… cold towards everyone. I'm not sure I understand _why_, but I know that's not who you really are."

This time, she let him ponder on her words. Just before they reached the stage, the pair paused.

"You are really an extraordinary girl, Allison Munroe. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise. And especially not someone as blind as Chad," advised the boy with the dark glasses, before he began to leave.

"Thank you, Chase," she called after him.

Hesitating, he glanced back over his shoulder and replied, "Anytime," before continuing on towards the entrance.

* * *

><p>While the actors and actresses interacted with their fans, Chad's little sisters and the two chaperones spent their day at the Central Park Zoo. On their way to the zoo, they had stopped by the Summerstage to say hello to everyone and so Cassie could get some more footage for her special video project. As soon as they had reached the zoo, Caleigh led the way.<p>

"Cassie! Look at the little baby!" Caleigh shouted, pointing at the tiger exhibit where a little tiger cub pounced on a toy.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Cassie gushed, taking several snapshots.

"Yeah, until gets bigger it tries to attack you," Hannah joked.

Smiling, Connie led them throughout the park.

"Can we go see the Heffalumps?" Caleigh asked, bouncing around her sister.

"Pardon?" Connie laughed.

"She means elephants," Cassie explained.

"That's what I said! Heffalumps!"

"Yes, but only if you calm down," her sister said, rolling her eyes.

Immediately, the little girl stopped hopping and walked with them.

When they reached the elephant house, Caleigh held her nose and said, "It smells funny in here."

"It's an elephant house, Caleigh. What do you expect?" Cassie asked, breathing through her mouth.

"Aww, look at the little baby Heffalump!" her sister said gleefully. "Hi, Lumpy!"

"What on Earth is the child talking about?" Hannah asked.

"It's from this Winnie the Pooh movie I got her a while back. There are these things called Heffalumps that look like elephants. The baby one is named Lumpy," Cassie elaborated.

"Oh, I remember that!" Connie smiled. "Sonny used to watch the original Winnie the Pooh show all the time!"

Cassie laughed and rolled her eyes, "Chad would _love_ to hear something like that."

"Why would Chad want to know that?" the mother asked quizzically.

"I swear, he is totally in love with her. He's very defensive and denies it every time I bring it up."

"Oh… Do you think she feels the same way?"

"Aren't you two really close? She doesn't talk about it?" said the surprised blonde.

Connie sighed, "She never talks to me about these things anymore."

Cassie nodded, "Oh. Well, it's definitely a possibility that she does feel the same way. But they're both to blind or stubborn to admit it I guess."

"Chaddy loves Sonny!" Caleigh nodded seriously.

The group merely laughed at her enthusiasm and continued on their way.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, after they'd all eaten dinner, everyone lounged around lazily, not really wanting to do anything.<p>

Most of the guys decided to crash right after they finished eating, exhausted from the meet and greet.

The three oldest girls locked themselves in their room for the night, just gossiping about anything they could think of. The whole lot was surprised that they hadn't annoyed the living daylights out of each other yet.

When the three younger teenage girls congregated in their room for the whole evening, everyone began to worry about what they were scheming.

At ten, the only ones left in the living room watching _Elf_ were Chad, Rider, Skyler, and Sonny.

As the movie neared the end, Skyler stood up and stretched, yawning, "I am beat. I think I'm gonna hit the hay. G'night guys."

A few minutes later, Rider got up from the couch nearly fell over as he rubbed his eyes.

Grinning slyly, he said, "I think I'm gonna go sleep now too. 'Night," and then rushed out of the room.

When the movie ended, Sonny stood up and headed towards the hallway wordlessly.

"Sonny, wait…" Chad said softly.

She hesitated, but turned to face him.

"Hmm?"

"Look," he began, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry if I said something that offended you or whatever. I just don't want this awkward vow of silence to continue. You've been ignoring me all day. I don't know _why_, but I can't enjoy this trip if you're mad at me the whole time," he rambled, trying to apologize.

"…Alright," she said with a faint smile, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"So… We're good?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Oh… Good," he said with relief slightly evident in his voice.

"Good."

"Fine," he smirked.

Rolling her eyes and grinning, she replied, "Fine. Good night, Chad."

"Good night, Sonny," he nodded as they returned to their respective rooms.

As Sonny closed the door, she smiled faintly.

"Someone seems extra smiley tonight," Tawni commented as she brushed her sleek blonde hair.

"Who is?" Portlyn asked, propping herself up on her elbow, laying on the bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the brunette replied, trying to avoid the subject as she grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

"Sure, Sonny," Tawni said sarcastically. "Did Chad finally ask you out?"

"What?" she scoffed. "Of course not. And why do you assume I would be happy if he would have?"

"Because you _like_ him," her friend teased, setting the brush down.

"I do not!" she exclaimed defensively through the door.

While Tawni taunted Sonny and Portlyn watched, confused as ever, Penelope concocted a scheme. She had passed Rider on the way to get a glass of water when she accidentally overheard Chad's apology to Sonny from the kitchen where she lurked.

Arriving back at her room, she flopped down on the second bed and picked up her cell phone from the nightstand.

As she composed a quick text message, Tawni asked, "Ooh! Who are you texting?"

Closing her phone as the text sent, she smiled mischievously and replied, "Just an old friend," before turning off the lights.

Across the country in Los Angeles, California, a brunet actor sat at the dinner table as his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Pulling it out under the table, he had one new message reading, _"You said you're going to be at Condor's gala, right? I've got the perfect plan for what we discussed earlier…"_

"_What is it?"_ he sent back.

"Now, you know the rule about phones at the dinner table," his father scolded.

Nodding, he apologized and shoved the phone back into his pocket, anxiously hoping dinner would end soon.

Receiving his text, Penelope spent a few minutes to laying out her whole plan and then sent it to him.

But before he replied, began drifting to sleep. When her phone lit up, she groggily opened the text message that read, _"Perfect! I'll get right on it." _

Smiling, she placed the phone back on the nightstand and closed her eyes.

Back in LA, the boy sat upright on his bed for a while, dialing and redialing his cell phone. Finally, his call was connected and wide grin spread across his face.

"Hello, Mr. Condor? I'm sorry to bother you this late, but someone suggested a brilliant idea to me that I thought you should hear about," the boy explained.

"_And who exactly is this I am speaking to?"_ the man asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you remember me, but this is James Conroy."

**A/N: Dun, dun, duuunnnn! Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I would just like to say that the fish thing somewhere in this chapter is from my chemistry class. Man, I hated that thing. Mine like... died. You'll get what I'm talking about once you read it. (If not, Google it. It's pretty cool.)**

_December 22nd_

Even though almost everyone went to bed early, no one was awake until after eleven the next morning. After breakfast was when they really began to wake up. Once they had all had their daily dose of caffeinated or sugary drinks, they started planning for the day.

"We haven't been to Rockefeller Center yet," the native New Yorker, Logan, pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I heard it's great!" Sonny commented, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Yuck, the name sounds educational," Tawni said, rolling her eyes as she filed her nails.

"Actually, there's a lot to do there. There's Radio City Music Hall, ice skating, shopping—"

"Shopping? We're there!" Portlyn interjected, grinning to her friends.

"Sounds like fun!" Audrey agreed. "I haven't gone ice skating in forever."

"Yeah, we should go!" Zora nodded. "But if we're all going together, we might have to wait a while. I think the guys are half dead over there," she said, gesturing to the So Random boys who were sprawled out all over the living room couches and beanbag chairs.

"You guys can just meet us there later. Chad and I told Caleigh that we'd take her to see Santa," Cassie suggested.

"Oh, that's right. I promised we'd go here in New York since we didn't have time to back in LA," Chad sighed.

"Which store are you going to take her to?" Skyler asked, finishing up the last bite of his breakfast.

"Macy's probably," Cassie replied.

"Oh, can I tag along with you guys? I need to do some last minute shopping," the perky brunette asked.

"Can I come too? I've got to finish up my shopping list as well," the tall, dark haired boy asked as he dropped finished his plate in the sink.

"I don't see why not," the blond shrugged, glancing at his sister who was nodding.

Within the next hour, the five rounded up what they needed before leaving the Windsor apartment complex and taking the limo to Macy's in downtown New York City.

Getting out of the limo, Caleigh looked up at the oversized red billboard with the Macy's logo.

"Chaddy? What does that say?" she pointed.

"Macy's," he replied, waiting for everyone else to exit the limo.

"Is Santa inside?"

"Yes, he is," Chad smiled, taking his little sister's hand as they crossed the street.

Cassie aimed her camcorder at her siblings, but looked above it as she looked both ways before following them.

Trailing behind the Coopers were Skyler and Sonny, looking around the block curiously.

Once they had entered the department store, the sounds of people talking, paper rustling, and Christmas music flooded their ears. As they approached the long line of children, the song transitioned to a new one.

"Oh, I love this song," Sonny murmured to herself, recognizing the song immediately.

"Ah, Glee's first Christmas album," Skyler grinned. "Have you gotten their new album yet?

"Only at midnight the first day it came out!" she nodded.

Smiling she began singing along, trying not to disturb the other customers.

"_We're on the island of misfit toys…"_

Joining in, Skyler sang, "_Here we don't want to stay…"_

Grinning at each other, they chorused, "_We want to travel with Santa Claus in his magic sleigh…"_

The pair ducked under the divider rope and out of line, dancing around in the open area next to the crowd. Cassie turned to face them, recording, as did many other people in line.

"_A pack full of toys means a sack full of joys for millions of girls and for millions of boys,"_ Skyler sang, picking up a prop sac of gifts and setting it down again before the security elves noticed.

"_When Christmas day is here, the most wonderful day of the year!"_ a few of the children waiting sang along.

"_A jack-in-the-box waits for children to shout,"_ Sonny sang, pausing as someone continued by singing, _"'Wake up! Don't you know that it's time to come out?'"_

"_When Christmas day is here, the most wonderful day of the year!" _the kids repeated, this time with more voices.

"_Toys galore scattered on the floor," _she continued, gesturing to the prop toys spread out around the fenced off area.

"_There's no room for more,"_ her duet partner grinned, mock shrugging. _"And it's all because of Santa Claus."_

Near the edge of the line, she pretended to hand a box to a pair of fourth-grade-aged fraternal twins, _"A scooter for Jimmy, a dolly for Sue! The kind that will even say―"_

"'_How do you do?'" _Skyler finished, bowing to the twins before running off again.

By now, most of the people waiting in line had joined in with the refrain lines, _"When Christmas day is here, the most wonderful day of the year!"_

Approaching a little girl with jet black hair, Sonny asked her, _"How'd you like to be a spotted elephant?"_

To the boy behind her, Skyler suggested, _"Or a choo-choo with square wheels on your caboose!"_

"_Or a water pistol that shoots... jelly?" _she mimed.

"_We are all misfits!" _their audience shouted.

"_If we're on the island of unwanted toys," _the flamboyant boy began.

The comedienne continued, pretending to tickle a little baby, _"We'll miss all the fun with the girls and the boys."_

The pair stood next to each other with a handful of artificial confetti snow. _"When Christmas day is here the most wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day of the year!" _During the very last note, they tossed the snow up into the air and let it rain down.

The parents and children all applauded and laughed as Skyler and Sonny scampered back to the Coopers in line.

"I'm just going to saw this: you two are totally, officially insane," Chad scolded, trying to hold back his smile as Caleigh hugged both of them and giggled.

"Maybe we are, but at least we gave them a great story to tell someday," Sonny grinned, high-fiving her partner in crime.

"I'm surprised you guys didn't get thrown out," the blond scoffed.

"What can we say? The people _love_ us," Skyler mock bragged, grinning.

Rolling his eyes, Chad suggested, "Don't you two have shopping to do?"

"Oh yeah," Sonny nodded.

"Shall we, Miss Berry?" the older boy asked, holding out his arm for her.

"But of course, Mr. Hummel," she grinned, linking arms with him.

As the dynamic duo strolled off, humming more Christmas tunes, their confused friend remarked, "…I will never understand those two or their obscure references."

Sighing, he turned back to his sisters.

"Cass, the sign behind you. What does it say?" he pointed.

"Uh… Two hour wait from this point."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he muttered, "This is going to be a long day," before moving them along with the other people in line.

While their friend waited in line with his sisters, Sonny and Skyler explored the various sections of Macy's, in search of suitable gifts to give.

"This scarf would look fabulous on you," the dark haired boy smiled, draping a sunshine colored scarf around the brunette's shoulders.

Grinning, she wrapped a dark green one around his neck and threw a black fedora on top of his head.

He laughed and set a light brown version of the same hat on her head.

They both turned to the mirror beside them and struck silly poses, taking pictures of each other to post for their fans on Twitter.

At the end of their search, they had tried on twenty different articles of clothing and ended up buying exactly what they were looking for.

"Oh, if the Van Kamp's could've seen us here, they'd be appalled," Skyler chuckled, referencing a fanfiction he and Sonny were reading.

Nodding in agreement, Sonny smiled, "I'm pretty sure Reed would have had a heart attack.

"And his mother probably would have had us kicked out of the store!" he laughed as they approached their friends in line.

"What are you lunatics going on about now?" the blond actor asked.

"Just that fanfiction 'Dalton' by CP Coulter," his best friend grinned.

"You are really obsessed with that story," Chad rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit.

"Only because it's one of the best spin-off story of all time!" Sonny defended him, grinning.

"Who's next?" the security elf asked.

After two hours of agonizing wait, finally, it was Caleigh's turn to meet Santa Claus. Immediately, she scampered over and jumped up on his lap.

"Hello, little girl! What's your name?" he asked in a jolly voice.

"Aren't you supposed to know?" she said with a confused look in her eyes.

"Well, yes, but Santa has a lot of names to remember."

"Oh. My name's Caleigh!" she grinned.

"That's a beautiful name. And what do you want for Christmas, Caleigh?"

"I want a unicorn!"

"A unicorn?"

"Yep! I unicorn named Harry… Or if you can't bring me a unicorn, maybe a princess tiara," she nodded seriously.

Smiling, he replied, "Alright. Now you be a good little girl, okay?"

"Okay!"

Hopping back to the ground, she rejoined her brother and sister, who were waiting with Sonny and Skyler.

"Ready to go?" Chad asked, picking her up.

"Mhm," she said, bobbing her head.

"To Rockefeller Center!" Cassie smiled, leading the others.

* * *

><p>In less than an hour, the five met their group of friends by the Rockefeller Center rink bar. Upon arrival, they gaped at the gigantic Christmas tree behind the rink.<p>

"That is one big tree," Cassie commented with a low whistle.

"I bet it looks even more beautiful at night," Sonny sighed in awe.

"Yeah…" Skyler nodded.

"Chaddy, can we go ice skating?" Caleigh asked, tugging on her brother's sleeve.

"Maybe a little later, kiddo. We're going to meet up with everyone else to have lunch and walk around first. Maybe we can skate when it's darker and you can see the tree better," he reassured her.

"Alrighty!" she grinned happily, skipping in circles around them.

"Oh, there they are," the flamboyant actor gestured to their friends, the Randoms and Drama-Snobs, who were headed towards them.

"Hey," Sonny greeted when they were altogether.

"Did you guys have fun at Santaland?" Logan asked, smiling at Caleigh, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep!" Sonny grinned at Skyler.

"What did you do there the whole time?" Shayne questioned curiously.

"Check Tween Weekly's website later," Cassie answered. "They'll probably get a hold of a video."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened," Chase remarked.

"They basically broke out into their own musical number the moment we got into line," Chad stated.

"You did _not_!" Matthew gasped, his jaw practically dropping to the floor.

"Oh, but we did," the brunette Random grinned innocently.

"I am super jealous that I didn't go now," Damien said, Matthew Zora, Audrey, and Rider nodding in agreement.

"You could've," she shrugged.

"So, where are we going to eat?" Chad asked, changing the subject.

"Shrugging, Grady answered, "We all ate before we left."

"Oh, well, we can find somewhere to get lunch while you guys go ahead and shop. We can all meet up somewhere later," Sonny suggested.

"Alright," everybody agreed, spreading out to their destinations.

* * *

><p>"Hol―"<p>

"―ey―"

"―cheese."

On 48th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, the lively Randoms had entered the worldwide famous Nintendo World store.

"This is so awesome!" Grady exclaimed excitedly.

"Where should we even begin―Oh! Legend of Zelda!" said Shayne as he ran off to watch a group of teenage boys play "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" on the Wii.

Looking around, Matthew spotted a station where no one stood. Two consoles of the Nintendo 3DS, hooked up to a flatscreen TV, showing a demo of "Pokémon Rumble Blast" loaded. He looked at Damien who was already one step ahead of him.

"Where should we―" Grady began, Nico interjecting, "Super Mario Galaxy!"

The pair rushed over to the Wii station where they waited for their turn to play.

The two girls, Audrey and Zora were left, examining the store with wide eyes. They browsed the souvenirs and candies before hopping around from station to station, just observing.

Returning to where each of their friends were, they watched carefully.

Shayne had drawn a huge crowd, amazed more by his Zelda skills than by the fact that a celebrity was in their presence.

Approaching Damien and Matthew at the Pokémon game, they heard Matthew say, "Ugh! I knew we should've used Solar Beam and Flamethrower!"

Where the unofficial twin boys were, the girls watched them cooperate in order to defeat the boss level.

"Yeah, man!" Nico shouted, high fiving his buddy.

Eventually, Zora and Audrey found that "Just Dance" for the Wii was unoccupied, so they gave it a try. After about five minutes, the two girl geniuses perfected their movements, drawing an audience who watched closely, trying to pick up tips from them.

By the time the Randoms decided it was time to leave, the children and teenagers began recognizing them. After about a half hour of signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, the seven bought small containers of candy and left to find the rest of their friends.

* * *

><p>When the whole group met up again, they all roamed around Rockefeller Center for a few hours, snacking and window-shopping mostly since they'd spent so much money on Christmas gifts already.<p>

Around 7:30, when the sun had already disappeared from the sky, Caleigh asked, "Can we go ice skating yet?"

Her brother looked around at his friends who all nodded or shrugged.

"Alright," he nodded. "Let's go."

"Yay!" she shrieked, grinning happily, skipping alongside her siblings as they led the way.

Before they reached the rink, Zora spotted an eccentric store that caught her attention.

"Hey, what's this?" she asked, gesturing to the darkened store.

"There's a note on the door! _'Gone ghost hunting. Be back after New Year's!'_" Audrey read aloud.

"What's this?" Rider asked, picking up a flat packet from a bowl on a small table by the door.

"Don't touch anything, Kingston," Chase scolded.

"It says, _'Take one!'_"

"What is it?" Matthew asked, craning his neck to read over Rider's shoulder.

"Fortune Teller Fish," Shayne stated as he picked one up. "Place fish in palm of the hand and its movement will indicate fortune," he read.

Sliding the thin, red, plastic fish out of its wrapper, Rider placed it in the palm of his hand. Immediately, it curled up, forming a ring.

"Curls up entirely… Passionate!" he exclaimed.

"Passionate about _what_ exactly?" Chase pointed out.

Shrugging, he replied, "I dunno. Something. Fish don't lie."

"Fish don't speak either," Sonny laughed, taking one out of the bowl.

Each person took a fish and yelled out their fortunes. Most of them received the same fortune as Rider: passionate.

When Sonny put hers in her hand, she said, "Moving head and tail… In love. In love?"

"Ooh, Sonny's in _love. _Who's the guy?" Tawni teased.

"Uh, no one," she replied, rolling her eyes. "What about you?" she asked the Mackenzie Falls guys.

"Same as you," Logan said softly, shrugging.

"I did too," Chad rolled his eyes.

"Moving head… Jealousy. I am _not_ jealous!" Chase said defensively with his brow furrowed.

"Whoa, calm it, Alteau. No one said you were. But your reaction says otherwise," Rider smirked.

"Shut up, Kingston," he muttered. "These fish probably have sodium polyacrylate in them. The molecules in the fish take the shape of the water molecules on the surface of your hand."

"Oh, c'mon guys. It's just a silly piece of plastic. Let's just go skate," Sonny smiled, gently squeezing between them to keep a fight from breaking out as Rider rolled his eyes.

When they arrived at the end of the line for skate rentals, the mass of stars gawked at the beautiful Christmas tree. Decorated with garlands and twinkling lights, the tree glistened and glowed, contrasting the darkness greatly.

Cassie pulled out her camera and snapped a few shots of the gorgeous evergreen and filmed the skaters currently on the ice.

After a half hour wait in line to use the rink, they finally made it onto the ice where they discovered that only about half of them knew how to skate. Luckily, not many other people were on the ice since it was late and cold. As soon as they had set their skates to the ice, snow flurries began to fall once more.

"Okay, who doesn't know how to skate?" Sonny asked her friends.

Shayne, Chase, Luke, Tawni, Grady, and Penelope raised their hands sheepishly as Caleigh waved her hand high in the air.

"Alright, the rest of you go ahead and skate―" she began, as everyone else except Logan, who stayed behind with Luke, dispersed.

"Oh, don't feel bad, Sonny," Chad smirked, cutting her off. "I'm sure you'll all learn quickly," he said, gliding away only to promptly fall over, nearly running into Cassie, causing Caleigh to giggle.

Sonny raised an eyebrow and held back a smile, rolling her eyes at Chad's failure to show off.

"I meant to do that," Chad muttered defensively as he watched Sonny skate over to an open space.

Gaining speed, she slid across the ice gracefully, pushed off, and performed a perfect triple axel.

"Ohh, _burn_!" Nico threw his hands up, passing swiftly by.

"Careful, Dylan. The steam escaping from your ears might melt the ice," Cassie teased, following Nico.

"Double burn!" Grady laughed, the other blond's face growing red with defiance.

Rejoining the group that had little to no knowledge of skating, Sonny smiled and said to Chad, "Thanks, I think I'll be fine."

"Wow, that was amazing, Sonny!" Audrey grinned. "Where'd you learn to skate like that?"

"When you're a Wisconsin girl, you learn to ice skate before you learn to read," she joked, lowering her head the slightest bit, letting her hair fall over her eyes.

"Can you teach us how to do fancy jumps that?" Caleigh asked with hopeful eyes.

"Hmm, maybe we should start with the basics first," she smiled.

Turning around, she called to Chad, "Do you want to learn too?"

Shaking he said, "No thanks, I got this."

Skating up to her brother, Cassie rolled her eyes disapprovingly and said, "Just go over there. You know you want to."

"No, I really don't," he said, glancing back at them, eyes fixated on Sonny's long, sleek, brunette hair.

"Uh huh. Whatever, loverboy," she shrugged, skating away to catch up with Zora.

Back with the unofficial skating class, Sonny aided her friends, giving them tips on their positions and techniques. Within ten minutes, they were all sliding smoothly across the rink. Each lost balance and fell a few times, but they were relatively good skaters. Caleigh, in particular, was a natural.

Skating swiftly over to her brother who was clinging to the wall, she said, "Look Chaddy, I'm skating! Sonny taught me!"

She spun around at a moderate speed, careful not to lose her balance.

"Good job, Princess," he nodded.

"Come skate with me!" she begged, taking his hand, causing him to fall over.

She looked at him with confusion, tilting her head a bit. "Can you ice skate, Chaddy?"

"Duh! Of course I can," he lied, getting back to his feet.

"You should ask Sonny to teach you. She's a great teacher!" Caleigh suggested seriously.

"Yeah, Dylan," Cassie said mockingly as she passed by them.

"Wait for me, Cassie!" the little girl yelled as her sister slowed down.

The tall blond was left by the side of the rink, holding onto the wall to stay upright. He watched as the brunette Random nodded to his friend with the black glasses before making her way towards him.

"Chad…" she said softly, standing next to him.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help," he mumbled, attempting to glide away, losing his balance instead.

Catching his arm, she helped him regain his balance.

"C'mon. If you let me help you, you'll enjoy this ice rink a whole lot more."

After a few moments of silence, he looked into her eyes and sighed, "…Fine."

On the other side of the rink, their friends skated together as they talked.

"Blech. Why is she being so nice to Cooper?" Grady grumbled.

"Isn't it obvious? She likes him," Zora stated.

The boys of So Random simultaneously group grumbled about how that couldn't be possible.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Audrey shrugged, the boys staring at her with disgust.

"Y'know, as much as I can't stand to be in the same room with either of them for too long, as Sonny's best friend, I feel obligated to find her a boyfriend. If that means she dates Cooper, that's just less work for me," Tawni commented.

The whole group slowed to a stop and looked at her disbelievingly. This was coming from the girl who always put herself first and never cared about anyone else.

"…What?"

"Number one, since when are you Sonny's best friend? You had a list of ways to get rid of her when she first joined So Random," Zora said, raising an eyebrow. "Number two, since when do you care?"

"Number one, I just am. And number 2, I do _not_ care!"

Glancing around at one another, they all chorused, "You _so_ do."

As the group began moving again, they began branching off into their smaller sections.

"Do you really think Sonny likes Chad?" Portlyn asked Tawni and Penelope.

Nodding, Penelope replied, "Yeah, it's kind of obvious."

"Oh… Do you think Chad might possibly like Sonny?"

"It's definitely possible," Tawni answered. "They do flirt-fight an awful lot."

"_Not after the party they won't…"_ Penelope thought.

After about fifteen minutes, Sonny said, "Okay, you should be all set. Try now."

Releasing his hold on the wall, Chad pushed off on the ice and glided forward without tumbling down. Grinning, he managed to turn around and face his teacher. She applauded, skating over to him, but stumbled forward and into his arms. Catching her, he steadied them both as she looked up at him. For a moment, they stayed in each other's arms just gazing into the other's eyes.

"Sorry about that," she said softly, letting go of him and straightening out her jacket.

"It's fine. Wasn't your fault," he nodded.

As the Mackenzie Falls boys had neared the couple, they watched as Sonny had tripped, Chad catching her.

Looking at his friends, Rider said, "Whoa. That was intense."

"Wow. You can actually feel the infatuation emanating from them," Chase remarked.

"She literally fell for him," Skyler stated. "I saw her lose balance a little, but she could've easily passed him without falling."

Resting a hand on Luke's shoulder, Logan commented, "That's love for you, I suppose."

* * *

><p>Late that night, Sonny tossed and turned in her bed until finally got up for a glass of water. As she walked towards the kitchen, she saw a soft glow coming from it. Peeking around the corner, she saw a blond figure sitting at the table, looking out at the city.<p>

"Hey," she greeted softly so she didn't startle him.

"Hey," Chad replied, glancing over his shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Nah. I'm kind of a night owl sometimes," he said, taking a sip from his mug on the table.

"Oh. I just came to get a glass of water," she nodded.

"There's extra hot chocolate on the counter if you want it," he offered, gesturing to the glass pot. "It's just going to get all cold."

Pouring herself a mug of hot chocolate, she pulled a chair out from the table and sat down next to him.

"Hey, uh… I never really apologized for that comment about the tickets a few weeks ago… I'm really sorry about that," she whispered, glancing at him through the dim light.

Shrugging, he replied, "It's alright. That's how most people see me anyways. Comes with the bad boy image I've got."

She simply nodded, sipping her warm beverage.

Sighing, he remarked, "The city's really beautiful, isn't it?"

"Definitely," she agreed.

"I remember always begging my mom to bring me to New York with her when she went…" he began. "She never did. Said it was too dangerous for a little kid…"

She nodded every once in a while, letting him know she was listening, but letting him ramble on as he pleased.

"She'd leave Cassie and me behind all the time… Hannah feels more like my mom than my mother ever did."

"What about your dad?" Sonny asked quietly.

Pausing, he replied, "He was a worldwide famous director. He was constantly traveling around the world to shoot on location."

"Ahh… So where are they now?"

"As far as I know, my mother is somewhere in Europe, shooting a movie with a new boyfriend or something. And my dad… He…" Chad trailed off, swallowing another gulp of hot chocolate.

"He died in a car accident just after Caleigh was born," he murmured softly.

"Oh, Chad. I'm so sorry…" Sonny said, resting her hand on his arm.

"It's alright… I was thinking about him even before you joined me. Whenever I couldn't sleep, he and I would have a hot chocolate and just talk… At least, whenever he was home," he explained, stirring his drink.

Silence followed his words as the pair sipped their beverages and watched the snow fall.

"I'm really sorry about showing off at the ice rink earlier," she confessed.

"It's fine," Chad smiled faintly. "I was kind of being a jerk."

Smiling back, she sighed softly.

"Does everyone in Wisconsin know how to skate like that?" he asked.

"No. Actually, a lot of the girls at my school considered it dorky just because my best friend and I loved it," she said, blushing furiously.

"Really? I can't imagine why," he said in a serious tone, looking at her curiously.

"Well, we were the stereotypical geeky, nerdy fangirls. People didn't like that we were different. We stood out too much. Too much for Wisconsin standards. Especially me…"

He nodded sympathetically, letting her have her turn at rambling.

"Lucy could've blended in if she wanted to. She could've left me alone to be the weird girl on my own, but she didn't. We were different, but we were different _together_," she smiled, reminiscing.

"We did everything together. We crushed on the same celebrities, went to concerts together, got bullied together…"

"Did your parents know about the bullying?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"My mom knew. She wanted to do something about it herself, but I begged her not to."

"What about your dad?"

"He left when I was twelve," she murmured softly, lowering her eyes to her empty mug.

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

Shrugging, she continued, "Every once in a while he calls or sends me a postcard. But it feels like he's a stranger now."

He coughed softly, clearing his throat before finishing off the rest of his drink.

"Whenever I got stressed, I would go to the skating rink and just let it all out. I kept hoping he would be there…" she sighed.

Again, silence filled the room as the pair thought about what they'd learned about each other.

Standing up, Chad picked up their empty mugs and rinsed them out at the sink. Once he was finished, he dried his hands and walked back towards the table, saying, "I think I'm going to head back to bed."

Nodding, Sonny replied, "Yeah, me too."

Silently, they walked through the living room until they reached the hallway. Just before they entered the hall, Chad paused.

She looked at him and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Just… For the record, you're unlike any other girl I've ever met," he answered, faintly smiling.

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's a very good thing," he nodded.

"Good…" she smiled.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Suddenly, something caught Sonny's eye. Just above Chad's head, there was a clump of green and red. Following her gaze, he tilted his head back and saw a clump of mistletoe hanging above them. Even in the darkness, he could tell she was blushing furiously. Before she could protest, he leaned towards her slowly and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek. He smiled as she flushed deeply from head to toe.

"Good night, Sonny," he whispered, returning to his room, leaving her with her thoughts in the hall.

Even after hearing the door click shut, she stood there, frozen and staring into the empty space for a few moments. Slowly, she snapped out of the trance and slipped into her room.

In the Mackenzie falls boys' room, the blond lay awake in his bed, looking intently at the ceiling, just thinking.

_Lonesome stranger with a crowd around you,_

_I see who you are._

Recounting the information Sonny had told him, Chad remembered what had happened at the ice rink.

_You joke, they laugh, 'til the show is over,_

_Then you fall so hard._

"_When you're a Wisconsin girl, you learn to skate before you learn to read,"_ her voice echoed in his head. He recalled how she let her hair fall over her eyes just after she said it. She told him later that skating _wasn't_ popular in Wisconsin. But she didn't want her friends to know that.

_If you're needing a soul-to-soul connection,_

_I'll run to your side._

If she didn't want her friends to know, what did that make him? He didn't mind that she told him. In fact, he enjoyed their conversation together. He just wondered, _why_?

_When you're lost in the dark, when you're out in the cold,_

He imagined a small girl, about twelve years old, gliding all alone in the middle of an ice skating rink. She was waiting for someone who would never show up. A group of girls dressed in various shades of bright pink were mocking her discreetly from behind the bleachers.

_When you're looking for something that resembles your soul,_

At one point in her rehearsed program, she falls, wiping out on the ice. Hearing laughter, she glances in the direction of her tormentors, sending them scuttling from their hiding place.

_When the wind blows your house of cards,_

Sighing, she restarted her routine, only to fall once again, burying her face in her gloved hands.

_I'll be a home to your homeless heart._

He felt as if he was really there, as if this was all really happening right before his eyes. He wished desperately that he could comfort her right there. Tell her how special she was and would be.

Not just because she was Sonny, but because she reminded him so much of his sister. She would do exactly the same. Maybe that was why he pictured this scenario: it was fabricated by his own subconscious.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he pulled the covers more snugly around himself, letting his eyes droop close.

Back in the older girls' room, Sonny also lay awake, analyzing what she had learned about Chad.

_Open, close me, leave your secrets with me._

_I can ease your pain._

She was glad she was there to relieve him of those thoughts weighing down on his mind, but she questioned why he spilled everything he felt to _her_. She would've thought she would be the last to know.

_And my arms will be just like walls around you._

_Come in from the rain._

Listening and comforting is what she did best for her friends and family. She took pride in helping others.

_If you're running in the wrong direction,_

_I will lead you back._

_When you're lost in the dark, when you're out in the cold,_

He never let anyone in. He never spoke what was truly on his mind. Sonny was the only one to ever hear what he had to say.

_When you're looking for something that resembles your soul,_

Their polar opposite personalities didn't matter that night. All that mattered was they were together and that they were, in a sense, friends.

_When the wind blows your house of cards,_

Sonny could never just sit around when someone was hurting. She _had_ to be the one to help them, no matter who they were.

_I'll be a home to your homeless heart._

This time, it just happened to be Chad.

_Broken, shattered like a mirror_

_In a million pieces._

Both of them had things about their pasts that they weren't proud of. Things that broke their hearts. Things that hadn't even been spoken about.

_Sooner or later, you've got to find_

_Something, someone, to find you and save you._

But maybe in time, they would find that they were meant to be, at the very least, _friends_.

_When you're lost in the dark, when you're out in the cold,_

Though neither of them would admit to anyone else, they cared about each other. They could never let the other suffer alone.

_When you're looking for something that resembles your soul,_

That very reason would be able to unite the two stubborn teenagers.

_When the wind blows your house of cards,_

For a moment, they had both realized that as they stood under the mistletoe together.

_I'll be a home to your homeless heart._

Neither knew what to do once they discovered the revelation. Their hesitation spoke louder than their words ever could. They weren't prepared for the possibility of such a sudden change.

_I'll be a home to your homeless heart._

For now, they would have to accept their current situation. But the games had only just begun.

**A/N: Foreshadowing like a boss. See if you can guess what I'm getting at. ... What?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ...The Lukan shippers are going to murder me. But, I have a Christmas/Hanukkah/[insert holiday here] present for you all tomorrow.**

_December 23rd_

The next morning, New York City woke up to a fresh blanket of snow―nine inches and counting.

Yawning as she entered the living room, Sonny said, "G'morning―whoa! That's a lot of snow."

"It sure is," Chad agreed, rubbing his eyes and taking a sip of his nice warm coffee next to the burning fireplace.

"Looks like you're all stuck indoors for the day," Hannah remarked.

"Even if we wanted to go anywhere, we couldn't. Most roads have yet to be plowed," Zora nodded.

"Guess we'll just have to find things to do inside," Sonny smiled, sitting down at the table after compiling her breakfast.

It wasn't too difficult for everyone to entertain themselves. The older girls, excluding Sonny, took advantage of the home spa for a while before heading back to their room for a chick flick marathon. The troublemakers schemed in their room, going over what they had caught with their spy gear. Caleigh was wrapped up playing pretend in the Land of Sweets. Of course, Luke and Cassie hid out in the design studio for most of the morning while the So Random boys tried out another one of the many gaming systems. Chase decided to catch up on his reading as Skyler, Rider, Chad, and Logan watched the gamers play, occasionally alternating with them.

While everyone was occupied with their various tasks, Sonny slipped away and locked herself in the recording studio. Sitting at the piano with blank paper and a pencil, she began working on a new song. After the events that occurred the night before, she wanted to express her feelings without really having to speak. Luckily, no one disturbed her as she worked passionately on her song.

In the art studio, Cassie and Luke focused quietly and efficiently on their projects.

After a while, Cassie sighed to no one in particular, "Ugh. I don't have enough footage."

Curiously, Luke asked, "Footage for what?"

"I've been trying to make a music video to Sonny's cover of 'Wonderful Christmas Time' using footage I took myself, but I don't have enough. I wanted to finish it today, so I could post it online for people to see before Christmas."

"So? Just go film them some more."

"No one's doing anything interesting," she replied, leaning back in her chair.

"Oh, well I think Connie said she found decorations for the big tree in the living room. Get them to decorate it," he suggested.

"Oh, now there's an idea! Thanks, Luke!" she exclaimed, jumping off of her chair and grabbing her camcorder.

He chuckled softly to himself as he watched her race out of the room excitedly and then turned his attention back to his mysterious notebook.

Just as she reached the living room, Cassie nearly bumped into Connie.

"Oh, sorry!" she apologized.

"It's alright. What have you been up to?" the brunette woman smiled.

"It's a long story. Luke said you found decorations and ornaments for the tree?"

"Yep! In fact, I was just about to go get them now."

"Cool, should I go see who wants to help?" the blonde asked.

"Sure. I'll be back in a sec," Connie said, ducking into the hallway.

Cassie strode into the living room where the majority of the boys were.

"Hey, we're going to decorate the tree. Anyone want to help?" she asked.

Several heads turned towards here and nodded.

"Awesome."

Heading back down the hall, she stopped by the older girls' room and knocked.

"Who is it?" she heard Penelope asked.

"It's Cassie."

"Come in," Portlyn said.

Opening the door, she poked her head in and saw the three girls sitting on one bed, watching "The Notebook" on their TV.

"Hey, uh... I was just wondering if you guys would want to decorate the tree with us?" she said cautiously.

"Maybe," Tawni replied, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "We'll be out a little later if we decide to."

Nodding, the younger blonde said, "Alright," and slipped out of the room.

Continuing down the hall, she stopped at the room she shared with Zora and Audrey.

She knocked lightly on the door and waited for an answer.

"Just a minute!" Audrey's voice called, followed by the sounds of slight scuffling.

"Okay, come in!" Zora shouted, her voice sounding a little muffled.

Pushing the door open, Cassie said, "Hey. What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, it's just you," Zora said, relief evident in her voice as she removed a pillow from on top of her laptop, opening it again.

Lying on her stomach with the laptop in front of her on the floor, Audrey beckoned the other blonde over, "Come take a look at this."

"What is it?" Cassie asked in a cautious tone, joining them on the floor.

"It's your brother and Sonny," Zora said, playing a video clip on screen.

"_Good…"_

"_Good."_

"_Fine."_

"_Fine."_

As silence fell, Cassie watched Sonny look up above Chad's head.

"Wait for it…" the younger blonde whispered, her eyes fixated on the screen.

"3… 2…" the brunette with reddish streaks in her hair counted down.

Then, Cassie saw her brother lean forward and give the girl a gentle kiss on the cheek before entering his room.

"Oh my _gosh_!" she shrieked, instinctively covering her mouth with her hand.

"I just _knew_ he liked her," Audrey gushed softly.

"How did you guys get that video?" the cheerleader asked after she finally composed herself again.

"Well…" Zora began, glancing around her suspiciously.

"Tell me!" she begged.

"Alright. We have these mini spy cameras hidden all over the hallways and common rooms," the other girl said with a mischievous smile.

"Really? What else have you caught?"

"Nothing really interesting," Audrey shrugged.

"Wait… What about this one?" Zora suggested, pulling up another clip, showing a darkened silhouette pausing in the hallway.

Slowly, the girl crept into the kitchen and appeared to be listening to something in the next room over.

"Is that Penelope?" Cassie asked in a surprised tone.

Nodding, Zora said, "I think we caught a bit of whatever she was trying to hear, but the audio's a little blurry."

Boosting the sound, she replayed the clip.

"_I'm sorry if I said something that offended you or whatever. I just don't want this awkward vow of silence to continue…"_ a male's voice garbled through the speakers.

"Oh, that's Dylan. He must have been talking to Sonny," Cassie whispered.

"Dylan?" Audrey repeated, then realized who she meant. "Oh, you mean _Chad_."

As the other girl nodded, Zora said, "Shh! I can't hear!"

"_Alright,"_ a higher pitched voice replied, sounding just as fuzzy as the male's.

The girls watched as Penelope grimaced at the sound of her voice. She waited in her hiding spot until she was sure the pair was gone. After a few moments of eerie silence, she stood up and walked back to the room she and the other girls shared, as if nothing had happened.

A minute or so after she entered the room, Tawni's voice was heard saying, _"Ooh! Who are you texting?" _

"_Just an old friend,"_ Penelope replied as the lights went off.

Only silence followed those last few words. Stopping the video, Cassie pondered, "Huh. I wonder what that was all about."

"Isn't it obvious? She suspects there's something going on between them too!" Zora stated. "But I don't know why she would _care_…"

"Yeah, and what was with that weird face she made?" Audrey pointed out. "It looked like she was disgusted by something."

"…Or someone!" Cassie whispered excitedly, putting the pieces together. "Two someone's in this case. She doesn't want my brother to be with Sonny!"

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, the girls had gathered everyone who wanted to help decorate the tree. Soon, almost everyone was up and moving around, adorning the evergreen.<p>

Logan and Skyler strung lights around the top as Luke held the excess of the strand for them. Once the lights were done, Sonny, Chad, Cassie, Caleigh, Zora, and Audrey began placing ornaments on the tree, switching off with Rider, Penelope, Portlyn, Matthew, and Damien. In no time, the large plant was covered in bright, twinkling lights and shining, sparkling ornaments.

Admiring their work, the group stepped back trying to decide if anything needed fixing.

"Hmm… There's something missing," Sonny said, running a hand through her hair.

"I know! Something needs to go on the top!" Caleigh pointed to the bare spot on the very tip of the evergreen.

"How about a star?" Logan smiled, holding out the topper towards her.

"Yeah!" she grinned as she took it from his hand.

"Do you want to put it on top?"

She nodded rapidly causing laughter to ripple throughout the room. Cassie grabbed her camcorder and began recording as Logan gently lifted Caleigh up, allowing her to put the finishing touch on the tree. Everyone clapped and cheered as she placed the shining star on the very top, making her squeal with joy.

As they all returned to their previous activities, Sonny asked, "Would anyone be interested in helping me bake more cookies?" Looking pointedly towards the boys, she continued, "We _mysteriously_ ran out."

Zora glanced at her friend and said, "We'll help."

"Me too!" Caleigh shouted.

"Alright," the older girl smiled at her volunteers, leading them to the kitchen to get started.

"Mind if I help?" another voice said from behind them.

Turning around to face the voice, Sonny saw Chad standing there with a small smile.

"Not at all," she replied, returning the smile.

After washing their hands and gathering all the ingredients, they split into two groups: Zora, Audrey, with Caleigh, and Sonny with Chad.

"Combine 2 & 1/4 cups of flour, a teaspoon baking soda, and a teaspoon of salt in small bowl," Sonny read.

"Sounds easy enough," Chad said transporting the bag of flour and dropping it on the counter, causing a puff of the white powder to escape.

Wrinkling his nose, he waved the flour away, handing Sonny a measuring cup as she laughed softly.

After measuring everything out, Sonny said, "Hmm… Needs a little more flour."

"How much?" Chad asked, pulling the bag across the countertop.

"Just a pinch," she said, looking over the recipe again.

"Someone's a perfectionist," he smirked, pouring in more flour.

As she turned towards him, she defiantly said, "I am not―Wait, that's too much!"

He stopped pouring and scooped out the excess, "Is this good?"

"Perfect," she nodded.

Before she could turn away, he lightly flicked the flour in her face. The surprised brunette sputtered as he outright laughed.

"Oh, it is _so_ on!" she said with a devious smile cracking an egg over his head.

She grinned innocently as he blinked his eyes, bringing his hand to his hair where the egg began to run.

Within seconds, sugar, flour, and other various ingredients flew through the air, landing all over the floor. Joining in, Zora and Audrey laughed, chasing the pair around the kitchen.

As the four of them fought, Caleigh decided to take things into her own hands, and continued adding things to the bowl. Since she remembered what Sonny put in the first time they baked together and the ingredients were already measured out, it was a piece of cake.

Reaching the step where the electric mixer was needed, she stood as tall as she could on top of her stool, shouting, "Hey!"

The four froze and turned their heads towards her.

"I need help using that," she said, pointing to the electric mixer.

"Oh, alright," Audrey said, returning to their station, Zora following her.

Brushing herself off, Sonny laughed softly and said, "Okay, we'd better get back to work."

"Yeah. I'll start cleaning up the kitchen. Can you finish our batch of cookies?" Chad asked.

"Sure," she nodded.

Within the next half hour, the blond swept up the powder from the floor and wiped down the sides of the counters, freeing them of the dusty substances. During that time, the girls finished making the dough and began placing them on the trays.

"Can we eat a little of the cookie dough? Pretty please?" Caleigh asked with wide puppy dog eyes.

"Nope. Sorry, kiddo. You don't want to get sick," Sonny smiled apologetically.

"Why does Chaddy get to then?"

"He doesn't―Chad!" the brunette scolded, shoving him away from the trays.

Grinning innocently, he was banished to dish duty as the girls put the sheets of cookies into the oven. Within the next twenty minutes, the hungry actors and actresses began flooding the kitchen, eagerly waiting the coveted treats.

Taking them out of the oven, Sonny sternly said, "Only one per person for now."

Before the she even completed the sentence, each selected a warm cookie from the tray and happily devoured them.

Once the extra cookies were stored and everything was put away, everyone gathered in the living room, sprawling out all over the place.

"Hey, before everyone runs off to do other things, I want to show you guys what I've been working on for the last week," Cassie smiled.

Everyone quieted down as she hooked up her laptop to the TV, curious to see what she was so proud of. Pulling up her YouTube channel, she clicked on the video titled, _"Wonderful Christmas Time – Sonny Munroe."_

_La la da da da_

As Sonny's voice began vocalizing the introduction, the screen showed Cassie holding up a paper sign reading, _"Christmas in NYC, 2011."_

_The mood is right, the spirit's up._

_We're here tonight and that's enough._

The brand new footage Cassie took as they decorated the tree panned across the TV. All of the participants were enjoying themselves, dancing along to the music.

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

Soon, everyone on the screen was up and dancing goofily as they wrapped garlands and strings of lights around each other.

_The party's on, the feeling's here,_

_That only comes this time of year._

The video transitioned to FAO Schwarz, where the epic Nerf battle had raged. She had shown clips of Zora, Audrey, and Skyler ambushing each other with amusement. At one point, Rider had Cassie cornered with a Cheshire grin on his face. When Cassie shot him on the forehead, the whole room erupted into laughter.

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

As she ran away from her pursuers, the footage showed how she had run into the boy in the store, but soon faded to show the lines of people in Central Park.

_The choir of children sing their song._

_They practiced all year long._

Clips of the excited fans waiting outside at the meet and greet flashed on screen. They smiled, waving at Cassie as she passed them.

_Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong._

_La la la la la..._

She zoomed in on a group of little girls who seemed to be singing without a care in the world. They grinned happily when they noticed Cassie was watching them.

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

Shifting to Rockefeller Center, the video illustrated the brightly lit Christmas tree along with the ice skaters below.

_The word is out about the town._

_So lift your glass and don't look down._

Perfectly in time with the song, Sonny performed a perfect triple axel on the screen, receiving praise from her friends as they watched.

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time!_

Swinging back to the meet and greet in Central Park, Cassie zoomed in on the actors and actresses of both shows, as they made the fans grin with delight.

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time_

_Simply having wonderful Christmas time_

As the song came to an end, the screen ended with the group walking away from the camera as Cassie shrugged and mouthed, _"Merry Christmas!"_ to the viewers.

Everyone applauded as she closed the video. The Mackenzie Falls boys all dog-pile-hugged her, nearly causing her to fall over.

Laughing, she asked, "I take it you liked the video?"

"Yeah!" they all chorused, grinning.

"Oh, good," she sighed, looking pleased with her work.

Before anyone could say another word, Zora asked, "Hey, while we're all here, is anyone in the mood to have a live chat with fans?"

* * *

><p>After an hour of setting up the proper equipment, eating more milk and cookies, and posting many, <em>many<em> tweets, they were finally ready to broadcast.

"Okay, is it on?" the thousands of fans heard Cassie's voice say.

"Yep. We're good," Zora nodded from her seat on the floor when she saw the red light.

From Cassie's place behind the camera, the people sitting left to right on the floor were Logan, Luke, Rider, Chase, Sonny, Chad, Skyler, Zora, and Audrey. Behind them on the couches were Damien, Shayne, Matthew, Tawni, Penelope, Portlyn, Nico, and Grady. As they were setting up the camera, Audrey noticed that Penelope pointedly made sure that she sat directly behind Sonny and Chad in order to keep a close eye on the two.

"Hey guys, how's everyone doing?" Matthew asked, waving to the camera.

"We decided to do this webcast because… Well. We're bored," Damien smiled.

"And as you can see, it's snowing," Sonny gestured to the large windows behind the couch.

"There was nine inches when we woke up. I suppose it's about ten and a half by now," Chase remarked, barely taking his eyes off of his book to look at the camera.

"Yeah, so obviously we couldn't go anywhere today. So I guess we're all just gonna chill here and ramble to you all as we answer questions and such," Chad nodded.

"Oh, I found an interesting get-to-know-you type questionnaire online," Sonny said, looking up from her phone. "Should we do it?"

When everyone nodded in agreement, she read the first item, "Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 56, and find line 7. What is it?"

Looking around, Rider snatched Chase's book from his hands and did as the question had asked.

As Chase glared at him, he read, "Carolina was a product of the restoration of the Stuarts to the English throne."

He looked directly at the camera and said, "And that was a moment from the nerd book of Chase Alteau," and in return, the younger boy smacked him with the book.

"Stuarts!" Sonny exclaimed glancing at Skyler, grinning at the reference.

"Yes! By the way, shout out to the Daltonites!" Skyler pointed to the camera. "You guys rock. Let us know when the next update is, please and thank you."

Rolling his eyes, Chad picked up Sonny's phone and read the next question.

"Did you dream last night? If so, do you remember what it was about?"

"I never remember my dreams!" Grady said exasperatedly, throwing his arms in the air.

"Me neither! It's so weird. Sometimes I know I _had_ a dream, but I'll never remember what it was about," Nico agreed.

"Really? I can remember almost all of my dreams," Sonny commented.

"Oh, really? Then what did you dream about last night?" Zora asked skeptically.

"The question never said I had to explain," Sonny shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Moving on, who was the last person to text you?" Zora read from her friend's phone.

Going down the line, Logan said, "Luke," without bothering to take out his phone.

Everyone else checked their phones and then proceeded to point to someone else in the room.

"My parents," Luke shrugged.

Chase glanced down at his phone and pointed to Rider, who said, "Lil' sis, Melody. She's staying with her best friend for Christmas."

"My best friend, Lucy," Sonny smiled.

Chad pointed to Skyler as he scrolled through his texts.

"A friend from the theatre program I help out at in LA," Skyler answered vaguely.

Zora pointed to Audrey as she stated, "My sister… Sonny, these questions are boring."

"Yeah," Zora nodded in agreement with the rest of the room.

"Well, who has a better idea?" she asked, slightly hurt.

After a few moments of silence, Matthew gasped loudly and said, "We should talk to Cleverbot."

Pulling out his phone, he opened the Cleverbot app.

"What should we ask it?"

"Ask if it knows who I am," Chad suggested.

"It said, 'Yes, I love him,'" Matthew grimaced.

Smirking, Chad leaned back with his hands behind his head.

"Okay, I'm restarting the conversation. Now let's ask something else…"

"Which came first: the phoenix or the flames?" Shayne suggested with a huge grin.

"Yeah, nice one!" Damien exclaimed, high-fiving his friend.

"It said, 'A circle has no beginning.'" Matthew laughed.

"Alright, enough with the nerd speak," Chad said, rolling his eyes. "Let's take some fan questions."

Since Cassie was controlling all of the electrical equipment, she scanned the laptop screen, skimming the questions.

"Uhh, what are your favorite books and what are they about?"

"Harry Potter," Matthew, Damien, Shayne, Chad, and Rider chorused.

"If you don't know what _Harry Potter_ is about…Where have you been for your whole life?" Shayne asked.

"Oh, y'know. Probably living in a cupboard under some stairs," Skyler smirked.

Laughing at Skyler's StarKid reference, Sonny replied, "_The Hunger Games_."

"Me too!" Zora and Audrey grinned.

"If you haven't heard about _The Hunger Games_, it's a fairly new trilogy. Well, newer than _Harry Potter_. It's about this country named Panem. It's the only country left on Earth because of some catastrophic disaster. It takes place hundreds of years in the future and Panem is run by the Capitol. Each year, a boy and a girl are chosen from each district of Panem to compete in this thing called the Hunger Games where they fight until the death and only one is left," Sonny explained.

"The story revolves around a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen," Zora added.

"It's a really good story, despite the deaths," Audrey interjected. "I highly recommend it."

Nodding, Sonny commented, "Also, the first movie is being released next March. Just saying."

"…Do comics count?" Grady asked, to which Nico nodded.

Rolling his eyes, Chase said, "I don't have a favorite. I like most everything I read."

Luke looked around and shrugged, "I like some mangas I guess."

"Favorite TV show?" Cassie asked, reading another one of the fan's questions.

"Doctor Who," Shayne and Chase replied immediately.

"Ooh. This is a tough one. It's definitely between Doctor Who and Glee," Sonny contemplated.

"Glee, hands down," Skyler said firmly.

"Spongebob!" the So Random boys shouted.

"Modern Family," Audrey said, smiling at the camera.

"Same. Or one of the CSI shows," Zora added.

"I'll be right back," Skyler said, getting up from the couch and exiting the room, putting his phone to his ear.

Picking out another question, Cassie said, "Oh! This one says, 'Who's behind the camera reading the questions?'"

She turned the camera around on its tripod to face her and said, "Hi, I'm Cassie. One of Chad's younger sisters that he never talks about."

"Because I'm not ready to let Hollywood corrupt you yet," he yelled to the viewers, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged and gave a small wave before turning the camera back around.

"Okay, if you could have any animal a pet, what would you want?"

"A penguin!" Grady grinned.

"Yeah!" his best friends agreed.

"Either that or an elephant," Shayne chuckled.

"Hedgehog," Sonny shrugged, smiling widely.

"An Aye-Aye!" Zora stated.

"What an Earth is an Aye-Aye?" Chad asked, looking at the brunette.

"It's a lemur from Madagascar," she shrugged.

"Aww! You mean the thing you showed me the other day?" Audrey asked.

She nodded and took out her phone, showing Chad the picture.

He grimaced at the picture and said, "You two are so weird."

The girls shrugged and motioned to Cassie for the next question.

"Have you or would you date anybody else in the room?" she read.

Looking around at each other, they chorused, "No."

"It would be too weird to even think about," Tawni said with a shrug.

"Yep," Sonny said softly, nodding.

"Be back in a sec," Rider said, walking towards the hall.

There, he bumped into Skyler who was on his way back.

"Oof, sorry man," Skyler apologized.

"No worries," he nodded.

Slowly, both looked up and saw the mistletoe above them.

Everyone in the living room laughed and egged them on as Cassie turned the camera to face them.

Shrugging, the boys took their roles and put on a spectacular show, locking lips for a few seconds. The reason they even bothered to fake it was for the fangirls who continually shipped their characters, Cyrus and Devon, in the fanfictions.

Their friends all doubled over in laughter as they watched.

Breaking apart, they both continued the act.

"Wow, that was extremely hetero of you, Cy," Skyler smirked.

"What was? I seem to have forgotten. Care to refresh my memory, Dev?" Rider smirked back.

"Sorry, but you're just not my type," he retorted, about to slip away.

Catching his arm, the younger boy pulled him back, in position to kiss him again, "Then what _is_ your type?"

Seeing as their friends could barely breathe, they dropped the act.

Smiling, Skyler said, "Okay, to all those Devrus shippers out there, that was your Christmas slash Hanukkah slash Kwanzaa slash Ramadan slash whatever present."

"Merry Christhanukkahmas and happy Ramakwanzaadan!" Rider grinned, ducking down the hallway.

Once everyone finally caught their breath and Rider returned, Cassie scrolled through some more questions.

"I'm not a Devrus shipper, but I have to say, that was one hot kiss," she read as the two boys mock bowed. "Who was everyone's first kiss?"

"Girl I used to know in second grade. Her name was Cameron, I think," Logan said nonchalantly.

"Um… Pass?" Luke said hopefully, to which there were no objections.

"Can't remember," Rider shrugged.

"Irrelevant," Chase said, waving it off.

"Best friend's brother," Sonny smiled sheepishly.

Without showing any kind of reference to his true emotions, Chad replied, "It's kind of a long story…"

"It was me," Skyler piped up. "Like he said, long story. But that's not happening again. Sorry, Devkenzie shippers."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Who was yours? Wasn't it Chas?" Chad asked, beginning to get irritated.

"Ah yes, Chastity. The kiss that brought me to my senses. No offense to Chas. She's a great kisser and all, just not my type," he shrugged.

"Pass," Zora said, rolling her eyes.

"Hmm…" Audrey tried to remember.

As everyone shared, Chad's heart dropped a little. He was thinking about Sonny's answer. How she'd blushed ever so slightly at the memory. He had hoped to be her first kiss. A part of him had always known that he was too late. A girl like Sonny surely would have already had her first kiss. He was right.

"What about you, Cassie?" Zora asked, smiling innocently.

"Hah, right. I'll let you know when it actually happens," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

She caught Luke's eye as he smiled softly at her, before returning to the laptop to find another question.

* * *

><p>About an hour or so of laughter, everyone decided that it was time to end the live chat.<p>

"This last question is specifically for Sonny and Chad," Cassie said, smirking a little.

She could've sworn she saw Penelope flash a glare in her direction as she read, "Have you ever thought about dating the other?"

Shooting Cassie a withering look, Chad replied, "I'm not answering that."

"That means yes!" Tawni concluded.

"It does not! It just means he doesn't want to answer it!" Sonny defended.

"Then _you_ answer," she prompted.

"Uh, no thanks," she said, slouching slightly.

"You _so_ have," Tawni smirked as Caleigh walked into the room and ran to her brother.

"Hey, kiddo," he smiled, picking her up. "You just saved Sonny and me from answering this question."

"What question?" she asked.

"Someone asked if they ever thought about dating each other," Cassie answered.

"You should!" she giggled, looking at Sonny.

"But that would just ruin everything," he said softly.

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, nevermind. You'll understand when you're older."

"Okay, okay, can we answer one more question before we go that is _not_ about us?" Sonny asked.

"Sure. Hmm… Who's the little girl that just ran in? She's so adorable," the blonde read.

"I'm Caleigh," she answered, grinning and waving.

"Yeah, this is my other little sister, Caleigh," Chad nodded.

"Hi hi!" she chirped.

"Well, we're just about to end the chat now," he said to her.

"Oh. Bye!" she said, jumping down from the couch and running back to her room, causing everyone to laugh.

"Alright, well it was great talking to everyone," Sonny smiled. "Oh, wait! Cassie, what's your YouTube username?"

"Same, as my Twitter. Why?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"You should all go watch this incredible video Cassie made for my cover of 'Wonderful Christmas Time.' Go to YouTube and search CassieDemetria, no space in between. It's pretty awesome. Let us know what you think of it!" Sonny grinned.

"Anyways, it's time for us to go. We love you all!" Damien concluded.

"And we'll talk to you guys later," Logan smiled.

As everyone waved and blew kisses to their viewers, Cassie ended the chat. Within a half hour, they were all back to their original amusements.

Soon, only Chad and Sonny lingered in the living room.

"So…" Sonny said, clearing her throat.

"Hmm?" he looked at her curiously.

"…What did you mean by it would ruin everything?" she asked softly, afraid to hear the answer.

"I don't know… I just thought it sounded like a good answer," he shrugged.

"Oh… That's all?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Oh, okay…" she said, walking quietly out of the room and ducking into the studio.

Twenty minutes late in the recording studio, Sonny stood at the large computer, loading the instrumental track that her friend Selena Gomez emailed her after she'd asked for it 15 minutes earlier. She timed the track to begin playing after she was set up at the microphone. A few moments after she put the headphones on, she began singing.

_You make me so upset sometimes._

_I feel like I could lose my mind._

Thinking of Chad, she remembered how he had refused to answer the question. Did that mean he had thought about dating her before?_ She_ had.

_The conversation goes nowhere,_

_'Cause you're never gonna take me there._

She knew even if he did, neither would do anything about it. Neither knew _what_ to do.

_And I know what I know_

_And I know you're no good for me._

Did she really want to date him? She tried to convince herself it was only a silly daydream.

_Yeah, I know what I know_

_And I know it's not meant to be._

In the back of her mind, she knew she was only trying to fool herself. It would never work between them, no matter how sweet and kind her could be.

_Here's my dilemma:_

_One half of me wants ya_

_And the other half wants to forget._

During the trip, he'd been relatively nice to her. There were occasional slip ups, but he'd definitely shown her a different side of himself. But would that all be forgotten once they returned to California?

_My, my, my dilemma from the moment I met ya:_

_I just can't get you outta my head._

The first time Sonny ever saw Chad on TV, she instantly crushed. When she first met him in person after joining So Random, the crush intensified. She couldn't get him out of her head.

_And I tell myself to run from you,_

_But I find myself attracted_

_To my dilemma. _

_My dilemma, _

_It's you, it's you._

After finding out the feud between the two shows, she vowed she wouldn't fall any longer. She was only kidding herself.

_Your eyes have told a thousand lies,_

_But I believe em' when they look in mine._

She knew how he could say anything he wanted to her and she would never care, at least while their gazes were locked.

_I heard the rumors, but you won't come clean. _

_I guess I'm hoping it's because of me._

She had heard loads of rumors about him in the tabloids, but could never tell what was true and what wasn't. He always let his agent handle them, regardless if he really did or didn't do whatever they accused him of. She never fully understood why.

_And I know what I know_

_And I know you're no good for me._

She knew that if they should ever date, the road would be rough.

_Yeah, I know what I know_

_And I know it's not meant to be._

Half of her hoped they would be together someday, but the other half convinced her it would never happen.

_Here's my dilemma:_

_One half of me wants ya_

_And the other half wants to forget._

She truly did want to forget. She just wanted to be _friends._ Nothing more. At least not yet.

_My, my, my dilemma from the moment I met ya:_

_I just can't get you outta my head._

Her heart kept telling her otherwise.

_And I tell myself to run from you,_

_But I find myself attracted_

_To my dilemma. _

_My dilemma, _

_It's you, it's you._

The more she thought about it, the more her head spun.

_I could live without you, _

_Your smile, your eyes,_

_The way you make me feel inside._

Every single time he smiled or made eye contact with her, she melted inside. She had just gotten to the point where she could hide it very well.

_I can live without you,_

_But I don't wanna, I don't wanna. _

_You make me so upset sometimes._

With the song, she was trying to get all of the emotions out of her system. She didn't want to feel for him anymore.

_Here's my dilemma:_

_One half of me wants ya_

_And the other half wants to forget._

She had finally decided she wanted to be over him. She didn't want to hurt anymore.

_My, my, my dilemma from the moment I met ya:_

_I just can't get you outta my head._

She was sick of their crazy games. She just wanted someone who would be straightforward with her.

_And I tell myself to run from you,_

_But I find myself attracted_

_To my dilemma. _

_My dilemma, _

_It's you, it's you._

But would she find him? In the back of her mind, she knew who she really wanted.

_It's you, it's you._

_It's you, it's you._

_It's you, it's you._

She wanted a certain three-name jerkthrob.

_It's you, it's you._

_It's you, it's you._

His name was Chad Dylan Cooper.

_My, my, my dilemma._

* * *

><p>"Oh, it's already midnight," Cassie said, looking up from her sketch book.<p>

Checking the clock on the computer, Luke replied, "We'd better go to sleep so Mr. Condor doesn't kill us for being tired at his party."

He saved the word document he was working on and took his flash drive from the computer before shutting it down.

"I want to ask you something, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to," the girl said softly.

"Go ahead," he smiled, getting up from his chair.

"Why don't you talk to everyone? I noticed that you rarely talk around your friends," she said with a curious look.

Shrugging, he replied, "I guess I'm just quiet. I'm just one of those people who don't like to talk unless I've the person known for a long time."

"Oh, that makes sense… But you talk to me and Caleigh. We've barely known each other before this trip," she pointed out.

"You two are a special exception. I can't exactly explain why…"

"I understand… Also, why did you pass on the first kiss question? I'm just curious," she asked as they crept towards the door.

Pulling it open and stepping into the hall, he said, "I've never had mine…"

Trailing off, he looked above them at the tuft of green and red dangling from the ceiling.

"Was that always there?" he whispered.

"I'm not sure…" she answered, knowing exactly who had put it there. In fact, at that very moment, the culprits were lying on their bed staring intently at the video streaming live to their laptops.

Silently, he bowed his head slightly as she leaned up, their lips making contact only for a few moments.

When the broke apart, both blushed a bit, not saying a word.

"Um…" Cassie said, swallowing nervously.

"Good night, Cassie…" he said softly as he blushed intensely, heading into his room.

"'Night, Luke," she smiled, entering her room where two girls were gushing over the scene they just witnessed with another girl over Oovoo.

"Really, you guys?" Cassie asked, raising an eyebrow as she shut the door.

Grinning innocently, they turned the laptop to her, showing the other girl as she flailed.

"Oh my_ gosh_, Cass!" the brunette squealed through the camera.

"Really, Selene? You too?" she asked, grabbing her pajamas and heading to the bathroom.

She grinned angelically and shrugged.

"It's not that big of a deal," Cassie yelled from behind the door. "He's just a friend."

"Not after tonight he isn't!" Audrey teased.

"Nothing is going to change. I don't want it to anyways," she confirmed, beginning to brush her teeth.

"Oh, really? Then why did you kiss him?" Zora provoked.

"Because…"

"Cassieeee," Selene said in an irritating tone that she hated.

"I wanted to get the first kiss thing over with," she said, walking out of the bathroom a few minutes later and flopping down on her bed.

The three girls stared at her disbelievingly, waiting for another answer.

Sitting up she said, "I like someone else. Okay?"

"Who?" they chorused.

"This guy I saw at FAO Schwarz. But I'll probably never see him again, so it's whatever," the blonde sighed, sinking into the bed and pulling the covers up.

"Fine," Selene sighed. "I gotta go. I can hear my mom coming to yell at me for being awake. 'Night, everyone!"

"Bye, Selene," Cassie said before rolling over and turning out her light.

Putting their things away, the two other girls turned off their light, letting the soft glow of the city lights put them to sleep.

Somewhere else in the city that never sleeps, a group of young adults began settling into their rooms in a large mansion that would be bustling with excitement in about eighteen hours.

In particular, a certain brunet boy was teeming with anticipation. So far, everything was going as planned. He just hoped it would stay on track.

**A/N: Leave a review, pretty please with sunshine on top?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Christmas Eve, whoo! I'll let you know what your Christmas present is at the end of the chapter. Mwahahahaha.**

_December 24th_

The morning went by quickly on Christmas Eve. Everyone's spirits were high and merry, excited for the gala at Mr. Condor's later that evening. For the majority of the morning, nothing was really different. After lunch, around one o'clock, the three fashionista girls began preparing for the party. Straggling along after them, the rest of the group began to prepare as well.

Precisely at 4:00, the chauffeur arrived with the limo for them.

"Hurry up, you slowpokes! We don't want to be late," Connie shouted, fixing her earrings and coat.

As they rushed to leave, they were delayed several times for forgotten handbags and other various items. Finally, they were on their way.

When they arrived at the mansion an hour later, the festivities were only beginning.

"He wasn't kidding when he said it was a mansion…" Sonny whispered under her breath.

As the doormen held the door open, they all entered slowly, gawking at the estate.

The front hall consisted of a large open space of marbled floor decorated with statues, paintings, and columns. Two staircases curved down from the left and right, and directly underneath and was a pair of white doors.

"Right this way, please," the doormen guided, ushering everyone behind the white doors after their coats had been collected.

Inside was an enormous Victorian style ballroom. Several small chandeliers hung from the ceiling, surrounding a larger one in the center. The ceiling was domed with arches for support. A balcony that could only be accessed from the second floor surrounded the edges of the room. On the ground level, round tables laced in red and green with poinsettia flower centerpieces were laid out on the edges of the room, leaving plenty of space to dance in the core.

In the back of the room was a stage-like platform with a microphone stand and a grand piano on it. Behind it was a huge white screen. Lining the front of the stage were four medium sized speakers.

"Ahh, very Victorian era," Chase commented. "I approve."

"Man, I wish I had my sketch book," Luke whispered.

Taking her digital camera from her handbag, Cassie quickly snapped a few pictures, and then dropped it back into the case.

"You can look at the pictures later," she whispered back with a smile.

Soon, the group dispersed in order to mingle with the directors, writers, producers, and other actors and actresses.

About a half hour after their arrival, all the guests had gotten settled and Mr. Condor made his way to the stage and turned on the microphone.

"If I may have your attention for just a few moments," he announced into the mic, quieting the guests as a camera crew in front recorded his lengthy spiel.

"I would just like to thank you all for attending the Condors' First Annual Holiday Benefit," he began as the crowd whispered amongst themselves, wondering if they had missed the memo about the gala being a charity benefit. "It really warms my heart to see how many young people who want to make a difference in society..."

"Oh boy, this is going probably to be another ten minutes," Rider grumbled under his breath.

Sure enough, he rambled on for exactly seven more minutes before making one last announcement after the camera had stopped rolling.

"Some of you may be wondering what the camera crew was doing a few moments ago and why this gathering has become a benefit. Well, throughout the evening, we will be having special musical performances. After each, there will be a time where donations may be made for the Make-A-Wish Foundation," he explained.

"Oh! That's a great idea," Sonny whispered to herself.

"My apologies for not giving you any notice on the change, but the idea was pitched to me only a few days ago. I know that those of you who were informed already have things planned, but if there are some that would like to improvise, you may. But remember, the performances will be broadcasted live to the Condor TV Network, in order to reach a greater audience," he stated, sending the crowd chattering with excitement.

"Once again, thank you all for coming. I guess there's only one thing left to say… Dinner is served!" he concluded.

As everyone applauded and dug into their food, the Randoms and Drama-snobs turned to each other at their tables and planned what they would be doing up until New Year's. Towards the end of the astonishing five course meal, they began discussing who wanted to perform and who did not.

"I think it'll be fun!" Sonny grinned.

"I'm in," Skyler nodded.

"We will too," Penelope agreed with a secretive smile, motioning to herself and Portlyn.

"I _never_ pass up a chance to perform," Tawni replied nonchalantly, smoothing out her dress.

"Anyone else?" Sonny asked, looking around at her friends.

"If I think of something when the time comes, I will," Rider shrugged.

"Same," Cassie nodded.

Everyone else shook their heads and quickly made their escapes to avoid another one of Sonny's pep talks.

Over at one of the tables sat Cassie and Luke, keeping an eye Caleigh. They watched as everyone mingled, but neither was in the mood to talk to anyone.

Twirling around, the little blonde girl nearly fell, but instead stopped and giggled.

"Stop spinning, Caleigh," her sister scolded. "You're going to hurt somebody."

"But I'm bored!" she whined, stomping her feet and frowning.

"Then find someone to play with. There are some girls over there. One of them looks about your age," Cassie said in an irritated tone.

"Come with meee," she pleaded.

Luke glanced at her and said, "I'll go with her if you want."

She smiled weakly and nodded, "Thanks, Luke."

As soon as they had left the table, two energetic girls bounded over to the table and sat down.

"So, what's new with you and Luke?" the brunette asked.

"Nothing, Zora," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you _absolutely_ sure?" asked other blonde.

"Yes, Audrey. I'm positive. I already told you two, I don't like him like that," she stated firmly.

"Whatever," Zora shrugged. "It's so boring just sitting here. Come with us and have some fun!"

Just then, Mr. Condor's voice resonated through the ballroom once again.

"Excuse me for just a moment, please. We will be commencing the musical performances shortly. If there is anyone who would like to be a part of them, please meet at this table immediately. Thank you," he announced, motioning to a table to the left of him.

"Are either of you planning to sing or anything?" she asked.

"Nah," Zora shook her head.

"What about you?" Audrey inquired.

"I was thinking about it…" Cassie admitted.

"You should! I've heard you sing," the brunette smiled.

"Of course you have," the older blonde rolled her eyes, remembering their hidden cameras in the hallways.

"Go sign up now!" the younger blonde prompted.

"But there are so many people!" Cassie exclaimed.

"So? I heard your brother talking about how you want to be a famous singer or actress. There's no better time or place to practice," Zora shrugged.

"…Alright. Thank you, Dr. Seuss," she sighed with a small smile, motioning to Luke that she would be somewhere else.

When he nodded back at her, she followed the girls reluctantly.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the room, a certain brunet boy had spotted who he was looking for. Making his way across the floor, he tapped her on the shoulder.<p>

When she turned around, he smiled, "Hello, Sonny."

"James?" she said in surprised tone.

"In the flesh," he nodded.

"I didn't know you were going to be here," she smiled politely.

"Yeah, well—" he started.

"James Conroy?" Tawni's voice said from behind him, Portlyn right behind her.

Spinning around, he answered, "Oh. Hello, girls."

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I was just telling Sonny that I—"

"Conroy?" Chad asked confusedly, appearing next to Sonny.

"Hey, Chad," he replied, only half surprised to see Chad standing there.

"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly, though his heart was beating quickly with fury in his chest as he clenched his fist.

"Mr. Condor invited me," he explained. "I wasn't going to come at first, but then I heard that So Random and Mackenzie Falls would be here. So I came to see—"

"Me!" Portlyn exclaimed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"Actually, I was going to say Sonny," he smiled, turning to face her.

"Oh, really?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, really," he confirmed, taking a step towards her.

Backing up subtly, she said, "I distinctly remember telling you off in the arcade about two years ago…"

"About that… Can we talk?" he asked hopefully.

The brunette glanced at her friends and nodded, following him off to one of the tables.

Once both were seated, she sighed, "So…?"

"I'm really sorry about the way I acted back then, Sonny. I was stupid and juvenile. Ever since then, I've been working on being a better person," he explained.

"Do you think that… maybe…" the brunet trailed off.

"Maybe, what?" Sonny asked softly.

"Do you think you could give me a second chance?" he asked with sincerity in his eyes.

She took a few moments to collect her thoughts, thinking in silence. Could she really trust him? The way he had asked had seemed genuine enough…

"I don't know…" she said quietly.

"How about you give me a week to change your mind? Please?"

"Alright," she said with a faint smile.

"Great," he grinned. "Also, I have a proposition for you. You watch Glee, right?"

Quirking an eyebrow, she said, "Yeah... How did you know?"

"Please, I read magazines. Plus, you talk about it all the time on Twitter," he replied. "Anyways, how would you like to sing with me and the cast later?"

"Um, I'd love that! But are you sure it would be okay with them?" she questioned.

"Yeah, it's fine. In fact, that's the whole reason we're even having performances tonight. I pitched the idea to Condor a few days ago," he grinned.

"That's amazing," she smiled. "What would we be singing?"

"Did you buy their new Christmas album?"

"Yes, I did."

"We're singing 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas.'"

* * *

><p>Over at the table where Cassie sent her sister and Luke, the two girls and Caleigh were having a tea party.<p>

"Kari, you're going to spill it," the eleven year old named Lexi scolded her six year old sister.

"I am not!" Kari defended defiantly, dribbling the water they were using as tea as she attempted to pour it into a teacup.

She passed the cup over to Caleigh who took a sip and said, "Oh, this tea is wonderful! Thank you very much!"

Lexi rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically as Kari tried to pour another cup of "tea" for Luke.

Just then, a small brunette girl plopped down in one of the chairs, seemingly fuming.

"Who are you?" Caleigh asked, tilting her head to the side.

The girl raised an eyebrow with her arms folded across her chest, "I'm Dakota Condor."

"Oh. What are you doing here?" Kari asked, tilting her head in a similar fashion.

"Her dad owns this place, stupid," Lexi said.

"Yeah. What are you dweebs doing here? Besides you," Dakota said, pointing to Luke. "You're on Mackenzie Falls. Why are _you three_ here?"

"Our dad is a director. We're here with him and our older brother," Lexi explained, shrugging.

Dakota nodded, turning to Caleigh.

"And you?"

"My big brother and his friends are here," Caleigh nodded seriously.

Dakota glanced at Luke for clarification. He merely pointed to Chad, who was currently deep in conversation with Chase and Rider.

"Your brother is Chad?"

"Yep!" she chirped, taking a sip from her teacup.

"Her brother _Chad_?" the brunette asked Luke, not believing her.

In return, he nodded nonchalantly and shrugged.

Glaring disapprovingly at her, Dakota said, "I didn't know he had a little sister."

"Cassie said no one knows about us because Chaddy doesn't want them to know," she shrugged.

"Cassie?"

"Mhm! She's my big sister," Caleigh nodded, nearly tipping over her cup.

Before Dakota could say another word, her father sauntered over to the table with a smile on his face.

"Hey, pumpkin. Are you being nice to the guests and making new friends?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"Of course, daddy!" she grinned angelically. "It's boring down here, though. Can we go play in my room?"

"Sure, sweetheart. But the performances start in about a half hour if you want to watch," he smiled.

"Okay. Thank you, daddy," she hugged him.

Once he had disappeared from view, she slid off her chair and turned to leave.

Pausing, she turned to face them again, "Well, are you coming?"

"Do you _want_ us to?" Lexi asked.

"I don't care. Come if you want," she shrugged, proceeding towards the main doors.

Kari looked at her older sister, hopped down from her chair, and ran after Dakota. Sighing, Lexi followed them.

Looking over at Luke, Caleigh asked, "Can you tell Cassie I'm going with them?"

As soon as he nodded, she slid off her chair and trailed behind them.

Once the table was empty, Luke stood up and left to find his friends, letting the waiters tidy up the table.

* * *

><p>When the three mischievous girls reached the front table, the two younger girls shoved the oldest towards it, almost causing her to stumble.<p>

"Um, hello," Cassie said to the man sitting at the controls.

"Hey! Here to sign up for a performance?" he smiled warmly.

"Yeah," she nodded, glancing back at her smiling friends standing behind her.

"Awesome! What track do you need?"

"Oh, uh. The instrumental for 'Merry Christmas Darling'… Preferably the Glee version," she told him.

Nodding, he replied, "Alright, it's downloading. There's going to be a lot of Christmas 'Glee' tonight."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," he said, leaning towards her. "The cast of Glee is here. They've been planning some special numbers for later," he smiled.

"Oh, cool!" she grinned.

"Mhm! Now what background do you want me to project?" he motioned to the laptop screen.

Walking around to the other side of the table, she analyzed the different settings.

"Um… That one," she confirmed, pointing to a background of snow covered Christmas trees, which mimicked the ones in the Glee Christmas episode from the year before.

"Perfect," he grinned, glancing at the clipboard. "According to this, you're going to be the first slot unless someone that wants to go before you comes by in the next five minutes."

"Oh…" she swallowed nervously.

"Don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll be great."

"Thanks," she smiled, just as some of the Randoms and Drama-snobs arrived at the table.

"Hey, Cassie!" Sonny grinned. "Are you performing, too?"

After she nodded, she asked, "What song?"

"Merry Christmas Darling," she stated.

"Ahh, good choice," Skyler nodded in approval.

"Oh? I was planning to do that one," Tawni said, frowning a bit.

Before Cassie could apologize, Sonny suggested, "What about 'Last Christmas'?"

"Great idea," Tawni beamed. "Thanks, Sonny!"

"What are you guys planning on singing?" Cassie asked curiously.

"I haven't decided yet," Skyler shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You can actually sign up at any point tonight," the coordinator smiled.

"Okay. Thanks, man," Skyler nodded.

"I'm going to do 'Last Christmas.' Also, Mr. Condor said he wants to promote our holiday album. Since the guy who voices Kermit the Frog is here, I'm singing 'I Believe' too," Tawni shrugged.

"Well, apparently I'm going to sing with James Conroy and the cast of Glee," Sonny sighed.

"Conroy's here?" the tall boy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yep," she nodded.

"Ugh. I don't even want to hear his name," Penelope lied, writing her name down on the sign-up sheet.

"What are you going to sing?" Cassie asked her politely.

"Well, I'm doing background vocals for Portlyn, Amber Riley, and Naya Rivera. They're singing 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' I'm going to sing lead with Naya for 'Santa Baby,'" she stated, setting the pen down on the table.

"Oh, sounds fun," Cassie nodded.

"Would any of you want to go first?" she asked hopefully.

"Nah, we wouldn't want to take the first spot from you," Sonny smiled.

Before she could protest, the stage manager said, "Okay, we need Cassie Demetria Cooper first."

"Break a leg," Skyler grinned as she walked toward the stage.

As she was handed the microphone, Mr. Condor was explaining the program on stage to the viewers watching and the make-up team fussed about her. They'd ended up taking her peacoat and knit hat from the coat room and putting them on her to fit the scene. Once they had scattered, she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Cassie," Audrey smiled.

As she turned around, Audrey continued, saying, "We just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Thanks, guys," Cassie nodded.

"Yeah, and we just wanted to remind you that nothing bad is going to happen. Just don't think about the crowd out there. Or the ones at home watching you on TV. Forget about all of that. Just sing," Zora said, her smile hinting of mischief.

"Zora!" Cassie exclaimed as they walked swiftly away.

"Knock 'em dead!" Audrey shouted back, following Zora.

"Without further ado, our first song will be 'Merry Christmas Darling' performed by Cassie Demetria Cooper," Mr. Condor's voice announced.

As the music began, the lights dimmed until the chandeliers twinkled, and Cassie positioned herself at the top of the stairs.

"_Greeting cards have all been sent,"_ she sang, moving nervously towards the center of the stage.

_The Christmas rush is through,_

_But I still have one wish to make,_

_A special one for you._

Looking up at the ceiling, as if there was a wishing star there, fake snow floated down from the balcony.

_Merry Christmas, darling._

_We're apart, that's true._

She slowly walked across the stage, weaving in between the small artificial Christmas trees that the crew had set up while the make-up team crowded her.

_But I can dream and in my dreams_

_I'm Christmas-ing with you._

Taking Zora's advice, Cassie stopped thinking about the crowd. She let her feet take her across the stage as she sang, thinking about one person in particular.

_Holidays are joyful._

_There's always something new,_

_But every day's a holiday_

_When I'm near to you._

Her mind wandered, wondering where they boy from FAO Schwarz was. What was he doing? Was he celebrating at home with family? Or maybe he was with a girlfriend? She really hoped it was the first option.

_The lights on my tree,_

_I wish you could see._

_I wish it every day._

From where he was sitting in the room, a teenage boy with blue-green eyes watched the girl on the stage. Though he could barely see her, she vaguely reminded him of someone.

_Logs on the fire_

_Fill me with desire_

_To see you and to say,_

Scanning the crowd, Cassie smiled down at them. She watched as the young couples waltzed around on the dance floor.

_That I wish you Merry Christmas._

_Happy New Year, too._

Closing her eyes, she paused in the center of the stage, before opening her eyes once again and moving across the platform.

_I've just one wish_

_On this Christmas Eve._

_I wish I were with you._

As the short instrumental played, she smiled softly, vocalizing and looking around the room, spotting a few of her friends who gave her thumbs up.

_Logs on the fire,_

_Fill me with desire._

_To see you and to say,_

The boy listening in the back of the room sighed quietly, mesmerized by her voice.

_That I wish you Merry Christmas._

_Happy New Year, too._

_I've just one wish_

_On this Christmas Eve._

She stopped in the center of the stage once again, looking past the large cameras stationed on the floor and balconies.

_I wish I were with you._

_I wish I were with you._

_Merry Christmas, darling._

When the song concluded, everyone in the ballroom smiled warmly and applauded for her. Waving and smiling shyly as the cameras zoomed on her, she said, "I'd just like to thank you all for letting me live one of my dreams tonight. Together we can help the dreams of the Make-A-Wish Foundation kids come true. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!"

Once she had stepped off of the stage, the make-up crew took her coat and hat back to the coatroom as Zora and Audrey greeted her.

"That was great!" Audrey grinned, hugging her.

"You were amazing, Cassie," Zora nodded in agreement, smiling. "There are some people at the table we were watching you from that would love to meet you."

"Okay, let's go!" she grinned, following them.

As they made their introductions and got settled at the table, the boy with dirty blond hair and blue-green eyes, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and dark gray slacks, was heading towards the table.

During the performance, he had watched the girl sing. Her blonde hair had been curled and pinned back along the sides of her head for the occasion. She was wearing a sky blue satin dress lined with iridescent sequins.

As he listened, he ran his thumb over the small C charm still in his pocket and thought about how much reminded him of one of the snow faeries in the Nutcracker ballet. That's when he made the connection.

As soon as he reached the table, he tapped the blonde girl gently on the shoulder. Turning around, her mouth fell slightly open.

"You're―" she began, cutting herself off, unable to speak.

"I thought it was you," he said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Demetri."

* * *

><p>Somewhere else in the ballroom while Tawni and Kermit the Frog were performing, a small brunet with hazel eyes was gently shoved into a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes.<p>

Turning around, the shorter of the two apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

As his voice trailed off, all either of them could hear in that moment of speechlessness was, _"I believe in the miracle of love…"_

The moment their eyes met, it was all over. No one else stood a chance.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" the taller boy replied slowly.

"Yeah…" he nodded.

"…You're—" the green-eyed boy began, failing to finish the sentence.

"Oh, yeah! Hi, I'm Darren Criss," he said, smiling up at him.

The boy could only nod his recognition.

"You're Skyler DeVane, right?" Darren asked, extending out his hand towards Skyler.

"Yeah… You know who I am?" Skyler asked bewilderedly, as he shook Darren's hand.

"Mhm, Mackenzie Falls, right?"

"Correct... I'm sorry I'm acting like this. I guess I'm just a little starstruck. I love watching you on Glee," Skyler smiled, blushing sheepishly.

Smiling, the older boy said, "Oh, so you're a Gleek?"

"Yes, I am," he grinned proudly. "How did you know I'm on Mackenzie Falls?"

"Well…" Darren began as he sat down at the nearest table with Skyler, where they would be deep in conversation for a good portion of the evening.

At one of the tables in the back of the room sat Chad and Chase who seemed bored by everyone's enthusiasm.

Chad was mumbling to no one in particular about how much he hated James Conroy while his friend read through the book he brought out of anticipation that the party would bore him.

"She doesn't like him, you know," Chase said, glancing at his friend.

"How do you know? She likes everyone," he muttered.

"If she really liked him, she would've given him a second chance right away. But she didn't. I overheard her say she'd give him a week to change her mind," the older boy stated.

"So? She's giving him a chance to change her mind. Doesn't that mean she likes him?"

"That's the way she is. Unless the person has done something completely terrible, she'd give the person a second chance. Hence, why Conroy's been given another chance."

"Yeah, I guess so…" the blond sighed.

Shutting his book, Chase looked Chad in the eye and said, "I am sick and tired of hearing you whine about Sonny. Go ask the girl out already."

"What? Psh. I don't like Sonny!" Chad said, waving off the command.

He didn't know Sonny had just come within earshot of the boys when she heard him say it. Luckily, neither of them noticed, so she scurried off to find someone else instead.

"You're right. You don't like her. You _love_ her. It's blatantly obvious," the boy in the glasses spat.

"So what if I do? It's not like we'll ever happen! She probably hates me by now," he blurted, trying to keep his voice down.

"Damn it, Chad! Skyler was right. You _are_ a giant squid of ignorance."

* * *

><p>Over at the table of young teens, almost all of them had left to find their families or dance out on the floor to Tawni's rendition of "Last Christmas," which was subtly dedicated to James. Soon, only Cassie and Demetri were left.<p>

"So…" Cassie said, smiling shyly.

"I feel like we should reintroduce ourselves since no one else is around now," Demetri smiled back.

"Hello, my name is Cassie Demetria Cooper. Call me Cassie," she said jokingly, extending her hand towards him.

Shaking her hand, he laughed, "Hello, Cassie. My name is Casey Demetri Carson, but you can call me Demetri."

"Hmm. Let's just get all the basics out of the way," she suggested. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Fifteen," she smiled.

"So I'm guessing you're a sophomore too?"

"Yep. Do you live in New York, or are you just visiting?" she inquired.

"Well, I live with my mom for most of the time in New York, but we visit my dad in California over the summer. We're here with my dad right now. He's a director for Condor," he explained.

"Oh… Who's we?"

"My two little sisters, Lexi and Kari," he smiled.

Smiling back, she asked, "How old are they?"

"Lexi's eleven and Kari's six."

"Aww," she grinned, taking a sip of her water.

"What about you? Where are you from?" he asked.

"Los Angeles, California," she stated nonchalantly.

"Sounds cool. Any siblings?"

"Yeah, Caleigh and Dylan," she nodded. "Six and seventeen."

Before he could say anything else, Cassie's brother approached the table.

"Hey, Cass. Would you happen to know anyone that could play the electric guitar for us? Rider talked me and Chase into singing with him. And since he's the only one of us who can play the drums…" he rolled his eyes.

"What are you guys playing?" Cassie said, raising an eyebrow.

"'The Girl of My Dreams' by the Jonas Brothers, but we're changing the lyrics to 'The One of My Dreams.' Don't ask. It was Rider's idea," he shrugged.

"Oh, uh. I can play guitar for that song," Demetri offered.

"Awesome. We're on in ten minutes. Thanks, man," Chad nodded, swiftly walking back towards his friends.

Turning back to Cassie, he asked, "You know Chad Dylan Cooper?"

"Yeah, I told you. He's my brother," she shrugged.

"You told me your brother's name is Dylan."

"Oh. Sorry, that's what I call him. Force of habit," she smiled apologetically.

Laughing, he said, "Alright, well I'd better get up there. I'll be back in a bit."

In return, she nodded understandingly, "Knock 'em dead."

"Please welcome Chad Dylan Cooper, Rider Kingston, and Chase Alteau of Mackenzie Falls with their last minute guitarist, Demetri Carson," Mr. Condor introduced before briskly walking offstage.

Looking around at his friends, Rider nodded and clacked his drumsticks together, "1, 2, 3, 4!"

The beginning of the song kicked off with Demetri on guitar and Rider on the drums.

_This Christmas time there's just one thing I want._

_It tops them all, it's better than eggnog._

_It's cold outside, my boots are full of snow._

_I'm just hoping for some mistletoe._

As Chad sang the first verse, he ran across the platform between each of the other boys before returning to his mic stand.

_You can take these presents underneath my tree._

Running back to where Rider was, Chase took his scarf and draped it around his friend's neck, grinning.

_You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me._

_You can take these boxes tied up with string._

_'Cause all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams._

As the second verse began, Chad jumped down from the stage, followed by Chase, and the duo walked amongst the crowd. In the back of the ballroom, four little girls had come down from upstairs, peering inside to watch the performance.

_The lights are going up, it's Christmas time._

Approaching a girl of about sixteen, Chad took her hand and winked, singing, _"I just want you to be mine."_

_The stocking's full but I'm not satisfied, no, no, no, no._

_But I'll just wait until you're by my side._

On the other side of the ballroom, Chase was singing to another girl before approaching a long, rectangular serving table.

Chad approached an identical one on his side of the room as well, nodding to the older boy before jumping up and standing on top of it.

_You can take these presents underneath my tree._

_You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me._

Following suit, Chase also jumped up on his table. Both boys ran across as the workers rushed to remove the finished platters out of their way.

_You can take these boxes tied up with string._

_'Cause all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams._

The boys ran back across the tables, the spotlights and cameras following them, performing stunt jumps and flips they had learned during filming.

"_Fa la la la la, la la la la," _the boys left on stage sang._ "Fa la la la."_

Jumping down from their tables, Chase and Chad wove through the crowd, serenading various people.

_You can take this presents underneath my tree._

_You can take this awesome scarf my grandma made for me._

Joining their friends back on the platform, the boys grinned with delight at the energy surging through the crowd.

_I would give it all just to let you see,_

_That all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams._

The four boys chorused one last time together, clapping their hands to the beat as the audience did so as well.

_You can save these presents underneath my tree._

_You can save this awesome scarf my grandma made for me._

_I would give it all just to let you see,_

_That all I want for Christmas is the one of my dreams._

As Demetri played the outro riff, the whole ballroom burst into applause and cheers. Almost instantaneously, Tumblr was sent into a frenzied fangirl riot over the boys.

After catching his breath, Chad smiled and said, "Thanks, you guys. Let's have another round of applause for our awesome guitarist and new friend, Demetri Carson!"

The youngest boy grinned and waved, leaning forward towards his microphone, "Thanks everyone. We hope you have an amazing holiday! And don't forget to make a donation to Make-A-Wish!"

Once the boys dismounted the stage, their friends rushed to greet them. Feeling a bit awkward, Demetri slipped away and headed back to the table where Cassie was waiting for him.

"You guys were awesome," she grinned as he reseated himself.

"Thanks," he grinned back, blushing the slightest bit at her praise.

"You're really good on the guitar. Do you practice often?" she asked curiously.

"Nah… Actually, I haven't played that particular song since last year when I learned it for my sisters."

"Huh. That's pretty amazing," she smiled.

"As are you," he said softly, his eyes glinting in the light.

This time, it was Cassie's turn to blush. The pair spent the rest of the evening together, laughing, talking, and watching the performances happily, dreading the moment when they would have to part.

**A/N: Okay, here's your present... You get another chapter today because Christmas Eve ended up being two chapters. You may all bow to my awesomeness... Hahahaha, no. But feel free to review before you read the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Part two of Christmas Eve! Yes, there will be a chapter tomorrow. Enjoy!**

_December 24th_

While the two young lovebirds talked the evening away, another couple intently watched their friends perform on stage.

"So, Dianna's actually Jewish like Lea?" the green-eyed boy asked, listening to the two girls singing a beautiful Hanukkah ballad.

"Yep," the hazel-eyed boy nodded in confirmation. "Which may or may not add to the reasons why people ship them together all the time," he laughed, applauding with the rest of the audience as the song ended.

The room was flooded with light as the stage crew rearranged the set for the next performance.

"I think Portlyn's and Penelope's songs are up next," Skyler murmured softly.

"Oh, I think Amber and Naya are singing with them," Darren added, scanning the room.

"Hey, um… I know this is a little sudden, but would you want to sing with me on stage?" he asked, looking at the taller boy with hopeful eyes.

Grinning widely, he replied, "Yeah, of course! What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about something off the first Glee Christmas album… 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' maybe?"

"Perfect," Skyler nodded happily.

"Great! Chris and I planned to originally, but he said he had a headache and went to go rest before our big group song. I'll go sign us up," Darren grinned, getting up from his chair and heading to the table.

After his companion had left, the lights dimmed once again and Skyler's eyes looked to the stage where the four girls stood in a single spotlight. In front was Mr. Condor, prepared to introduce them.

"Please welcome Portlyn Maddison, Amber Riley, Penelope Balatico, and Naya Rivera who will be performing 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and 'Santa Baby.'"

As the music began, the girls looked down at the stage floor, waiting for their turn to sing.

Portlyn was the first to look up. Stepping forward, she smiled innocently and sang, _"I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need."_

Following suit, Amber continued, _"I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree."_

Together, they crossed the platform in opposite directions, batting their eyes at the boys who watched.

_I just want you for my own,_

_More than you could ever know._

_Make my wish come true._

_All I want for Christmas is you._

From where he was sitting, Skyler noticed Portlyn seemed particularly interested in James, as did Penelope with Chad.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas._

_There is just one thing I need._

_Don't care about the presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree._

While the two leads descended the stairs and strutted across the ballroom, they serenaded several different boys, grinning flirtatiously at each.

_I don't need to hang my stocking_

_There upon the fireplace._

_Santa Claus won't make me happy_

_With a toy on Christmas Day._

While the boys were being serenaded, they twirled the two girls around, chuckling and grinning.

_I just want you for my own,_

_More than you could ever know._

_Make my wish come true._

_All I want for Christmas is you._

Somewhere else in the room, Chad's gaze drifted from the leads back up to the two backup singers on the stage. He could've sworn he saw Penelope wink at him, but quickly waved off the idea.

_I won't ask for much this Christmas,_

_I won't even wish for snow._

_And I'm just gonna keep on waiting_

_Underneath the mistletoe._

As Penelope sang the harmony with Naya onstage, she ran through the plan in her mind once more. She smirked knowingly as she watched the confusion spread across Chad's face.

_I won't make a list and send it_

_To the North Pole for Saint Nick._

_I won't even stay awake to_

_Hear those magic reindeer click._

At the table behind him sat James and Sonny. As Sonny watched the performance intently, James nodded his approval to Penelope who acknowledged his signal with a slight nod in return.

_'Cause I just want you here tonight_

_Holding onto me so tight._

_What more can I do?_

_Baby, all I want for Christmas is you._

Returning to the stage, Amber and Portlyn set their microphones back on the stands and continued the song effortlessly.

_All the lights are shining_

_So brightly everywhere._

_And the sound of children's_

_Laughter fills the air._

During this particular performance, Zora wasn't paying any attention to the music. Instead, she closely analyzed the behaviors of Portlyn and Penelope. She observed as the girls subtly flirted with James and Chad from a distance.

_And everyone is singing._

_I hear those sleigh bells ringing._

_Santa won't you bring me the one I really need?_

_Won't you please bring my baby to me?_

As Amber belted out the end of the bridge, Zora switched her focus from the girls to the boys. She noticed how James awkwardly returned Portlyn's smile before glancing to Penelope and then looking to his phone for an imaginary text message.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas,_

_This is all I'm asking for._

_I just want to see my baby_

_Standing right outside my door._

She examined the clueless and confused look on Chad's face as he contemplated the possibility that he was hallucinating. As she shook her head, her best friend looked at her curiously. She assured her it was nothing and then returned her attention to the stage.

_I just want you for my own,_

_More than you could ever know._

_Make my wish come true._

_Baby, all I want for Christmas is you._

As the song came closer to the end, the girls went back to their original places and pointed to the cameras.

_All I want for Christmas is you._

The audience applauded loudly, cheering the girls on for the next song. Almost immediately after the first song ended, the second song's intro blended directly into the previous outro.

Switching places with the two leads, Penelope and Naya sauntered up to the front, dancing in place as they waited for their cues.

Starting with Naya, she sang, "_Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree for me._ _I've been an awful good girl."_

"_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight," _Penelope finished with a smirk.

_Santa baby, an outer space convertible too, light blue._

_I'll wait up for you, dear._

Removing the microphones from their stands, Naya and Penelope caught the two Santa Claus hats that flew through the air, tossed to them by the wardrobe team.

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight._

Placing the hats on their heads, the two girls strutted over to the stairs and descended them to mingle in the crowd.

_Think of all the fun I've missed._

_Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed._

Before heading into the crowd, Penelope stopped by Chad's table, singing to him for a few lines. Her wink sufficiently confused him even more than he currently was.

_Next year I could be oh-so good,_

_If you check off my check off my Christmas list._

Where Naya was, she circled around a table of teenage couples, singing to the guys who laughed and smiled politely as they held their girlfriends' hands and held them close.

_Santa honey, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot._

_I've been an angel all year._

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight._

As Darren made his way back to the table where Skyler waited, Penelope approached him. He chuckled softly as she blocked his path, twirling around him a few times before letting him pass.

_Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need,_

_The deed to a platinum mine._

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight._

Once he was reseated at the table, Darren whispered, "We're on after them, but it'll take ten to fifteen minutes to rearrange the set for us."

_Santa baby, I'm filling my stocking with a duplex and checks._

_Sign your 'X' on the line._

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight._

Skyler smiled, nodding in return, watching his costar sing. He was aware of how her gaze kept flickering between his best friend and the brown haired couple behind him.

_Come and trim my Christmas tree_

_With some decorations bought at Tiffany's._

That's when pieces clicked into place in his mind.

_I really do believe in you._

_Let's see if you believe in me._

He gasped softly but sharply, alerting his companion.

"Everything alright?" he asked, placing his hand over the other boy's on the table.

_Santa baby forgot to mention one little thing, a ring._

_I don't mean a phone._

He smiled weakly, his hand tingling at the touch.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he whispered back, watching the girls approach the stage.

_Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight._

_Hurry down the chimney tonight._

_Hurry down the chimney tonight._

As the song concluded, all of the single boys in the room clapped the loudest, rooting and cheering for the girls.

"Thanks, guys," Naya smiled sweetly. "We hope you all have a happy holiday."

Once light illuminated the room once more, Sonny looked around and turned to James.

"When are we supposed to go?" she asked.

"Around 8:50 and 9:00," he replied, checking his watch. "So, in about 20 minutes."

"Oh, alright," she said, exhaling softly.

"What have you been up to lately? Write any new songs?" James asked quizzically.

"Yeah. Actually, I wrote a holiday song the other day," she nodded. "It's called 'Sing My Song For You.'"

"Oh? I'd love to hear it sometime," he smiled.

"Well, I have it recorded on my phone…" she said quietly, searching through her voice notes.

Plugging in her earbuds, and putting one in, she handed him the other and pressed play, scrolling through the lyrics.

While they listened to the song, waiting for the next performance, Darren and Skyler were being prepped inside a room replicated to look exactly like the scene from Dalton Academy. It was complete with the mahogany brown leather couches, a fancy fireplace, and festive winter garlands all over the room.

"Are you sure this is alright with Chris? I mean, this is kind of your thing," Skyler said worriedly, straightening out his red and blue blazer.

"Yeah, he's totally fine with it. We planned to do it originally, but before the party started he said he wasn't really feeling up for it tonight. I guess he was feeling sick. And he didn't want Mr. Condor to be mad so he told me I should look for another duet partner. Plus, I like singing with new voices," Darren smiled reassuringly.

"Okay guys, you're on in about thirty seconds," the cameraman said.

Smiling at each other, both took their places. As Darren waited in the hallway for his cue, he heard Mr. Condor's voice boom through the hall, "This next performance will be a bit different than the last. This time, a scene from last year's Christmas episode of Glee will be reenacted and extended a bit by _Glee's_ very own Darren Criss and _Mackenzie Falls'_ Skyler DeVane. Let's take a look at the screen."

Taking a deep breath, Darren strode into the room and set down a boom box on the table.

"Hey," he smiled at the dark haired boy sitting at the table with homework laid out in front of him.

Looking up from the papers, the boy smiled in return, "You scared me."

"Oh good, 'cause, uh. I'm actually Marley's ghost and I'm here to tell you to stop studying so hard," Darren joked, sitting across from him.

"What's with the boom box?" Skyler asked, his eyes flickering to it on the table next to the couch.

"I need you to sing with me," he said in a straightforward tone.

"Well, rehearse with me," he corrected himself. "I've got a gig singing 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' in the King's Island Christmas Spectacular."

"Aha, a personal favorite." his companion nodded knowingly. "Too bad they'd never let us sing it together," Skyler paused. "I mean, as two… artists."

"Mm… So you can help me out here?"

"Anything to get me to stop reading about Charlemagne," he nodded.

"Very good then," Darren smirked, closing the textbook and standing up.

Walking over to the boom box, he pressed play and music began to fill the air.

As the shorter boy danced his way back to the table, Skyler sat in his chair, singing, _"I really can't stay…"_

Darren replied with, _"But baby, it's cold outside," _as he leaned back against the couch.

_I've got to go away—But baby, it's cold outside._

Pretending to be disinterested, the green eyed boy looked away.

_This evening has been—Been hoping that you'd drop in._

_So very nice—I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice._

As Darren moved in on Skyler, the taller boy stood up and walked away with his hands behind his back.

_My mother will start to worry—Beautiful, what's your hurry?_

_My father will be pacing the floor—Listen to the fireplace roar._

Slowly, Darren followed behind Skyler, pretending to beg him to stay.

_So really I'd better scurry—Beautiful, please don't hurry._

Looking over his shoulder, Skyler smirked and backed towards him.

_Well maybe just a half a drink more—Put some records on while I pour._

Grinning widely, Darren gestured to one of the couches where Skyler leaned against the arm rest.

_The neighbors might think—Baby, it's bad out there._

Tilting his head to the side, Skyler asked, _"Say, what's in this drink?"_

Avoiding the question, Darren shrugged, _"No cabs to be had out there."_

"_I wish I knew how—"_

Leaning forward and looking into Skyler's eyes, he cut him off, singing, "_Your eyes are like starlight now."_

"—_To break the spell," _the boy blushed as he finished his line, circling around to the other side of the couch.

Following him, the hazel eyed boy sang, _"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell."_

_I ought to say no, no, no, sir—Mind if I move in closer?_

He scooted closer to the tall boy smiling goofily.

_At least I'm gonna say that I tried—What's the sense in hurting my pride?_

Getting up from his spot on the couch, Skyler reseated himself on the piano bench nearby.

_I really can't stay—Baby don't hold out._

Trailing after him, both chorused, _"Oh, but it's cold outside."_

Sitting at the piano together, Darren played along to the short interlude on the piano keys.

_I simply must go—But baby, it's cold outside._

_The answer is no—But baby, it's cold outside._

From the ballroom, several hundred pairs of eyes looked to the large screen, watching the boys sing to each other.

_This welcome has been—How lucky that you dropped in._

_So nice and warm—Look out the window at that storm._

The majority of the room smiled warmly as they observed and very few objected to the untraditional rendition of the song.

_My sister will be suspicious—Gosh, your lips look delicious._

_My brother will be there at the door—Waves upon a tropical shore._

Sonny grinned happily for her friend, knowing her was living one of his dreams.

_My maiden aunt's mind is vicious—Ooh, your lips are delicious._

_Well maybe just a cigarette more—Never such a blizzard before._

Smiling softly to himself, Chad watched his best friend and thought, _"Finally. He's found someone just like him."_

_I've got to go home—Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there._

_Say, lend me your coat—It's up to your knees out there._

Back in the Dalton room, Skyler stood by the fireplace with his hand on the mantle as Darren stood across from him.

_You've really been grand—I thrill when you touch my hand_

_But don't you see—How can you do this thing to me?_

As the other boy reached for his hand, Skyler retreated to leaning on the back of the couch.

_There's bound to be talk tomorrow—Think of my life long sorrow_

_At least there will be plenty implied—If you caught pneumonia and died_

Darren leaned forward from the other side, their noses almost touching before Skyler spun around and walked towards him.

_I really can't stay—Get over that hold out_

Plopping down on the couch together, the boys belted out the final notes.

_Baby, it's cold outside._

From down the hall, they could hear the applause and roar of cheers from the ballroom. The boys grinned at each other, still looking into the other's eyes.

Breaking their gaze, Darren looked to the camera and said, "We hope you're spending this magical time of year someone special, whoever they may be."

"We hope the holidays bring you happiness and joy. Maybe you'll even have a little extra to send to a child who needs it this year," Skyler added with a smile as Darren subtly clasped his hand.

"Happy holidays!" they grinned from ear to ear, waving at the camera until they saw the red light go off. Immediately after the camera crew left, Skyler exhaled loudly, smiling uncontrollably as he caught his breath.

"Everything alright?" Darren asked, squeezing Skyler's hand gently.

"…This feels like a crazy hallucination. I can't believe that just happened," he nodded, grinning.

Relaxing his shoulders, he sunk into the couch, ready to collapse.

"Well, you'd better believe it. And if you need more confirmation that you are indeed _not_ hallucinating, there'll be proof all over the internet later," he grinned.

Rubbing the back of his head, Skyler simply nodded with a smile.

"Hey, uh, I never got a chance to ask you… Would you want to maybe get coffee sometime?" Darren asked, looking over at him.

Barely hesitating, he replied, "I'd love to."

"Great, when's good for you?"

"Well, we're here in New York until the morning of January 2nd. If you're too busy between now and then, just give me a call whenever you're in LA," he suggested.

Nodding in agreement he smiled, "Sounds like a plan."

Releasing his hand, Darren stood up as he straightened out his blazer.

"Well, I'd love to stay here and just talk with you for the rest of the evening, but better get back to the ball. I'm needed on stage in a bit," he smiled apologetically.

"Oh, it's alright. My friends are probably looking for me," Skyler nodded.

Walking towards the door together, they paused just under the doorframe.

Turning to the taller boy, Darren said, "Thanks for singing with me, Skyler. You were flawless."

He smiled softly, blushing as he replied, "Anytime. It was kind of a dream of mine to sing with you… And it was way better than anything I could've ever dreamed of."

Then, he felt something brush lightly against the top of his head. Looking up, he saw a tuft of green mistletoe swinging back and forth above him. Glancing down at the shorter boy, he could feel his face flushing a deep shade of red.

Before he could say another word, Darren slowly leaned in towards him. Letting his eyes flutter shut, Skyler leaned in as well. When their lips had made contact, Skyler found himself wrapping his arms loosely around Darren's shoulders. After a few moments, the boys pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes, smiling speechlessly before leaning in again.

Back in the ballroom, the rest of Darren's cast was preparing to go onstage in less than five minutes. Sonny gently bit her bottom lip as she nervously glanced around.

"Hey," James said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You're going to be amazing, Sonny."

She smiled weakly, saying, "Thanks. I just hope I remember the lyrics."

Turning around, he swiftly strode towards the girls and tapped one of them on the shoulder. From Sonny's perspective, she saw him point to her and smile. Suddenly, she noticed James making his way back towards her. Moving aside, he let the girl reach Sonny first.

"Sonny, I assume you recognize Lea Michele," he said with a smile. "Lea, this is my friend Sonny Munroe."

"Hello, Sonny. It's nice to meet you," she greeted Sonny with a warm smile as she extended her hand towards her.

"Hello, Lea! Same to you," she grinned back, shaking her hand.

"Lea agreed to help you run through the lyrics with you one more time while I go see if Chris is feeling up to perform with Darren," James stated before turning on his heel to find the missing singers.

* * *

><p>"Thank you all for watching the Condor Network's First Annual Holiday Benefit and making lots of generous contributions to the Make-A-Wish foundation. Tonight alone, we've raised around fifty-thousand, which is enough to grant about ten wishes," he announced, the crowd applauding loudly in return.<p>

Once they had calmed down, he continued to say, "And now, for our final performance of the night. Please welcome _So Random's_ Sonny Munroe, _Mackenzie Falls'_ guest star, James Conroy, and the cast of _Glee_ singing their original song, 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas'!"

As the music began, the stage crew pulled the screen away like curtains, revealing two wide marble staircases leading from the balcony to the floor.

Already on the ballroom floor were the dancers of _Glee_: Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Harry Shum Jr., and Jenna Ushkowitz. Up above them on the balconies were Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Mark Salling, Dianna Agron, Chord Overstreet, Amber Riley, Damian McGinty, and Naya Rivera, who were all wearing headset microphones to keep their limbs mobile.

As each line began two couples would be set into motion on the stairs, then one on the dance floor.

_It came into my dreams last night, a great big man in red and white._

The first to descend the staircase on the left was the tall brunet, Cory, along with Lea.

As Mark and Dianna descended in sync with Cory and Lea on the right, Mark sang, _"He told me that it's gonna be a special year for you and me."_

Behind Cory and Lea came Naya and Damian McGinty. As Damian smiled, singing with his fairly noticeable Irish accent, Jenna and Harry waltzed around in the open space on the floor.

_Underneath the mistletoe, hold me tight and kiss me slow._

After Mark and Dianna, Chord followed behind with Amber, setting off Heather and Kevin as he sang, _"The snow is high, so come inside._ _I wanna hear you say to me…"_

Appearing behind the middle balcony railing were James and Sonny, smiling attentively at each other.

_It's a very, very, merry, merry Christmas._

_Gonna party on 'til Santa grants my wishes._

The pair circled around each other and sang as their co-performers danced to the beat of the music below them.

"_Got my halo on, I know what I want, it's who I'm with," _James sang, looking into his companion's eyes sincerely.

_It's an extraordinary merry Christmas._

As Sonny and James descended the stairs, the girls on the platform each sang a line of the chorus.

The camera panned to Lea during, _"It doesn't come as a surprise,_ w_ho's been naughty, who's been nice."_

Zooming on Dianna, she grinned and spotted Darren in the back of the room with a boy she'd seen him with earlier. She nearly laughed as she sang, _"There's someone here for everyone. Another year has just begun,"_ because she had noticed that both had a case of mild-makeout hair.

"_Silent night, numb inside. Sleigh bells ring until the light," _sang Amber as Chord spun her around under his arm.

Walking straight up to one of the cameras in a very Santana-Lopez-like manner, Naya sang, _"Hearts explode, here we go. It's all right there inside your eyes."_

Together, Sonny and James slowly walked in opposite directions across the back of the platform.

_It's a very, very, merry, merry Christmas._

As they passed each other, everyone twirled clockwise around in sync with the background lyric, _"Even better than the one before."_

_Gonna party on 'til Santa grants my wishes._

The pair crossed paths once more as the dancers twirled counterclockwise, singing, _"Think he's knocking on my front door."_

Striding up to the center of the platform together, they resembled a king and queen who were addressing their subjects.

_Got my halo on, I know what I want,_

_It's who I'm with._

_It's an extraordinary merry Christmas._

Artificial snow began drifting from the balconies to the floor in slow motion as James took Sonny's hand.

_Won't you meet me by the tree?_

_Slip away so secretly._

From where Chad observed them in the crowd, he frowned slightly. He wasn't very fond of the way James was looking at Sonny. He was gazing at her with a lovestruck look in his eyes.

_Can't you see how this could be_

_The greatest gift of all?_

Glancing over at Chad, Chase saw the envy in his eyes. Following his gaze, he saw how happy Sonny looked up on the stage. _"Ah, young love,"_ he thought, smirking the slightest bit. _"Well, jealousy is progress at least."_

_It's a very, very, merry, merry Christmas. _

_(Even better than the one before.)_

Everyone paused in place, smiling widely and catching their breath, as the drumbeat ceased for a few moments.

_Gonna stay with you 'til Santa grants my wishes. _

_(Think he's knocking on my front door.)_

When the beat resumed, they continued their routine, perfectly in sync with each other.

_Got my halo on, I know what I want,_

_It's who I'm with._

_It's an extraordinary merry,_

Joining in with the rest of them, Sonny let James guide her as they waltzed across the platform.

_Very, very, merry, merry Christmas._

_(Even better than the one before.)_

At first, Sonny focused all of her attention on recalling the dance moves she had observed.

_Gonna party on 'til Santa grants my wishes._

_(Think he's knocking on my front door.)_

Now, she genuinely smiled and let her figure skating instincts take over.

_Got my halo on, I know what I want,_

_It's who I'm with._

The main pair ended up back in the center of the platform, but continued to spin and twirl in time with the music.

_It's an extraordinary merry Christmas._

_(Even better than the one before.)_

Catching a glimpse at his eyes, Sonny saw how delighted James looked. She finally understood how vigorously they had all rehearsed, just for her.

_It's a very, very, very, merry Christmas._

_(Even better than the one before.)_

Simultaneously, they all slowed to a standstill with huge grins plastered onto their faces, chorusing the final line together.

_It's an extraordinary merry Christmas._

When the crowd applauded wildly, standing since they believed it was the final performance of the night.

Quieting them down, James said into his headset microphone, "Thank you, thank you. We actually have one more very special song for you guys. It's actually an original song written by Miss Sonny Munroe. I believe it's called, 'Sing My Song For You.'"

Grinning, he signaled for the stage crew to roll the piano back onto the stage. She stared at him, her mouth agape.

The audience clapped and took their seats as Sonny put her hand over her microphone and whispered to him, "What are you doing?"

"Just go with it. I've got everything planned out already," he whispered back, walking towards the piano.

Sliding onto the piano bench, he looked at her as she joined him reluctantly.

Once the entire _Glee_ cast was settled onstage, including Darren and Chris Colfer, Sonny began playing her song.

_Didn't know what to get you._

_Ordinary just wouldn't do._

_But I just found my perfect gift for you._

While she was Christmas shopping, Sonny had found perfect presents to give everyone, except for one person. She had absolutely no idea what to get him. Finally she just sat down in the recording studio and began playing, letting her emotions out. Often times, Sonny's happy place was Wisconsin. Every time she wrote a song, her mind immediately went to her idea of paradise.

_I hear church bells ringing._

_Carolers are singing harmony with me now._

_You are looking so lovely. _

_Even if the lights go out…_

Altogether, the massive group of singers chorused in a beautiful harmony.

_We've got mistletoe and firelight,_

_On this cold December night._

More artificial snow rained down to the floor. This time around, the snow drifted all throughout the room and not just the stage area.

_The snow outside will set the mood,_

_As I sing my song for you._

Closing her eyes and letting her fingers dance over the piano keys, Sonny smiled calmly, thinking about the person she had written the song for.

_We've got mistletoe and firelight,_

_On this cold December night._

The person she thought about was also thinking. Looking to the balconies, the certain three-name blond internally wondered, _"Seriously? __**More**__ snow? How much of this stuff does Condor __**have**__?"_

_The snow outside will set the mood,_

_As I sing my song for you._

_Sing my song…_

Opening her eyes again, she peered over the piano at the bright and happy faces looking back at her. Locking eyes with the boy sitting next to her who sang the harmony of her song, she smiled warmly.

_Sing my song for you._

As the song came to an end, the whole room burst into applause. The fangirls in their warm and cozy homes gushed over every little detail, from James' and Sonny's chemistry during the songs to Darren's mysterious messy hairdo.

Speaking into her microphone, Sonny said, "Thank you all so much for your amazing support! I'm honestly amazed by how much money we've raised tonight. Thank you for watching us all perform, whether it be physically here or at home on your TV. We wish you all the best in the year to come!"

"Happy holidays!" the rest of them chorused, waving to the cameras.

Once the cameras shut off for the last time, the lights brightened and everyone went back about their business.

Sonny stood up from her place at the piano and headed towards James and the _Glee_ cast.

"Hi! I just want to thank you guys so much for rehearsing and performing so hard," she grinned.

"Hey, it's what we do!" Cory shrugged, grinning as he hugged her.

"Well, it was a lot of fun," Amber added with a big smile.

"Yeah," everyone nodded in agreement.

"Nevertheless, it was amazing. I never thought I'd ever be a part of something like this," she smiled shyly.

"Aww, come here," the hobbit grinned, hugging her tightly.

"Guys… Darren's finally made a friend that's shorter than him," Chris teased, causing them to laugh good-naturedly.

Chad watched as the group lingered on the stage, talking and laughing like a family.

Just then, he felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around. Meeting his gaze was a brunette girl with light brown eyes.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but I've kind of been dying to meet you all night," she blurted, blushing crazily.

"It's alright," he replied with his signature smile. "What's your name?"

"Samantha Martin," she grinned.

"Well, Samantha Martin, why don't you have a seat?" he gestured to the empty chair across from him. He hadn't seen him leave, but he figured Chase went off to find Rider or one of the other guys. However, he _had_ noticed that Sonny was on her way towards him.

Once she was seated he asked, "So, how are you?"

"Kind of starstruck," she smiled, biting her bottom lip gently.

Laughing, he smirked softly and said, "What brings you here to Condor's? Family member in the business?"

Shaking her head, she corrected him, "Boyfriend, actually. He's over there, talking to your friends." She nodded to a boy with jet black hair who resembled a rock drummer. "His mom starred in the latest action movie that Condor produced. I can't seem to recall the name…"

"Oh? I think I know the one you're talking about. It was pretty good," he nodded knowingly.

Letting his mind drift from the conversation a bit, he realized who Samantha reminded him of. Brunette hair, brown eyes. She made him think of Sonny. He wondered if she would end up with some punk rock drummer just like Samantha if he never made a move. _"No, if she would end up with anyone else, it would be Conroy,"_ a voice inside his head assured him, causing him to shudder internally. Time was running out for him. _"Tick tock, Cooper…"_

As Sonny approached the table, eager to ask Chad what he thought about her performance, she noticed the brunette girl sitting with him who appeared to be deep in conversation. Hesitating, she fled the area to search for her mother instead.

Thoughts ran through her mind faster than a New York subway. _"Who was that girl? She was pretty. Of course she is, otherwise he wouldn't be talking to her. What do I do?" _she contemplated. _"It's simple, really. Do something or do nothing. Your choice, but you're running out of time. Tick tock, Allison," _her conscience replied.

Dispelling the thoughts from her brain, she set her mind on finding her mom. Within the next five minutes, she spotted her at a table across the room, speaking to a man dressed in a brown jacket, white shirt, and red bowtie. Slowly, she approached the pair, reluctant to interrupt them.

"Oh! Hello, dear. Charles, this is my daughter, Sonny. Sonny, this is Charles Carson," Connie introduced.

As she shook his hand and smiled, Sonny asked, "Carson? Would you happen to be related to Demetri Carson? He was up on the stage earlier, playing guitar for some of my friends."

"Demetri? Yeah, he's my nephew. His father and I work for Mr. Condor," Charles smiled.

"Cool!" she grinned.

"Did you want something, Sonny? Or did you just come to say hi?" her mother asked.

"Oh, right. When do you think we should leave? I'm going to go find everyone and let them know."

Checking the time on her wristwatch, Connie replied, "11:00, maybe? So, about half an hour? That way we can beat out most of the traffic."

"Alright," Sonny nodded. "It was nice meeting you!" she smiled to Charles.

"It was nice meeting you too, Sonny," he nodded.

Sonny went about rounding everyone up to let them know when they would be leaving. Nearby where she'd spoken to her mother, Sonny informed Hannah, who was speaking intently with the Carson children's father, Cameron.

She found Cassie and Demetri at the same table they'd been at all evening, Zora and Audrey discussion pranks with some actors and actresses their age, and the Random boys with some teenage New Yorkers. She stopped Caleigh's game of tag for a few moments to let her know that they would be leaving soon, to which she nodded before running away.

She stopped by the Mackenzie Falls' boys table where Chase had his nose in a book while Rider texted and Luke and Logan were on the verge of falling asleep. Somewhere on the ballroom dance floor, she approached Tawni, Penelope, and Portlyn who were consumed in a gossip session with other snobby teen actresses who waved her off.

Unable to find Skyler anywhere, and procrastinating on approaching Chad and the mysterious girl, Sonny wandered down the hall until she found the Dalton Academy set. Inside, she caught a glimpse of the boys sitting on the leather couch, Darren's eyes closed with his head resting on Skyler's shoulder, their hands clasped together. When Skyler noticed his friend in the doorway, she whispered her announcement before slipping out of the room silently.

Heading back to the ballroom, she sighed before gathering the courage to find Chad.

"Um, hey," she greeted softly when she had reached the table.

"Oh hey, Sonny," he said submissively. "Sonny, this is Samantha Martin. Samantha, this is―"

"Sonny Munroe," she finished, grinning excitedly. "This is definitely the best night ever. Meeting Chad Dylan Cooper and now Sonny Munroe!"

Smiling kindly, Sonny replied, "Hello, Samantha."

"So, what's up, Sonny?" Chad asked, looking up at her.

"Just wanted to tell you that we're leaving in about ten minutes," she stated.

As Chad nodded, Samantha said, "Oh? Did you two come here together?"

"Well actually, we came here with our castmates, my mom, and his sisters and housekeeper," Sonny explained.

"Ahh, I see," she smiled sheepishly.

Before anyone could say another word, Sonny felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she was face to face with James again.

"Hey, Sonny," he met her with a smile.

"Hi, James," she said, blinking the feeling of tiredness away.

"I wanted to give you your Christmas present since I probably won't see you tomorrow," he explained as they walked towards a less crowded part of the room.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything. Performing tonight was more than I could've asked for already."

Shrugging, he pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and replied, "Yeah, well…"

Taking the envelope, she opened it slowly and pulled out two slips of paper.

"I got us two tickets to _Phantom of the Opera_ on Broadway this Friday at 8:00 PM," he grinned, seeing the look of surprise on her face.

"Oh my _gosh_, James! This is unbelievable," she exclaimed, hugging him impulsively.

"I just knew you'd like it."

"You were correct on that one," she grinned.

"So, I assume you want to go?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes. I would love to," she smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Great! So it's a date."

Seeing her smile falter slightly, he said, "Okay, wrong choice of words. Either way, I'll pick you up at 7:00."

Nodding, she agreed, "Sounds good."

Seeing Zora waving, beckoning her to come with her, she said, "Well, I'd better go. I'll see you Friday."

"Yeah. Bye, Sonny," he nodded.

"Bye, James," she waved, advancing towards her friends.

Back with the main group, Cassie hugged her new friend tightly and said, "You better text me."

"Don't worry, I will," Demetri smiled as they pulled away.

His younger sisters and Caleigh giggled as they watched their older siblings.

Rolling her eyes, Dakota sighed, "Well, I'm just going to go now."

"Hey," Lexi said, causing her to pause. "If you ever get bored, I left our home phone number on that whiteboard upstairs. We're in New York during the school year, but we'll still be able to talk..."

Without turning around fully, she muttered, "Whatever," over her shoulder before exiting the room, passing a pair of boys on their way in.

"So… Coffee?" Darren asked, rubbing the back of his head, still not quite fully awake.

Smiling, he nodded, squeezing the other boy's hand. "Give me a call sometime tomorrow if you have a chance and we'll work it out."

"Alright, alright," Hannah said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get a move on. We've got to get going now if we want to beat traffic."

"Yeah! We have to get home before Santa Claus!" Caleigh chirped, pushing her brother by his back.

"You still believe in―" Lexi began in a skeptical tone before Demetri clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Thanks," Cassie whispered with a smile.

"No problem―Ugh, Lex!" he exclaimed, wiping his slobbery hand with a napkin from a nearby table as she grinned innocently.

Laughing out loud, Cassie followed her brother and sister, waving back at Demetri as she glanced over her shoulder.

Everyone trailed behind the Coopers, wanting to linger just a little bit longer. Sonny waved goodbye to her new friends from _Glee_ before her mother prodded her along. Skyler gave the hazel eyed hobbit one last hug as Chase caught his elbow, pulling him away.

The last to exit the ballroom were the So Random boys who continually glanced back at their blond friend who was waiting patiently for a girl with sleek red hair to hand him a slip of paper. Each boy walked at a snail's pace in order to spy on the whole chat. Once they saw the girl hug him and then leave to find her friends, Grady coolly walked up to his friends.

"So?" Nico asked eagerly.

Once they had passed back through the entrance of the ballroom, he calmly held up the scrap of paper with ten numbers scribbled on it, saying, "Got it."

"Yeah, man!" Damien grinned, clapping his hand on his friend's back supportively as they grabbed their coats from the coatroom and ran after the rest of their group.

* * *

><p>Immediately after arriving at the complex, Caleigh demanded that everyone go to sleep in order for Santa Claus to come. Everyone complied to keep the little girl happy and because they were all nearly ready to pass out. In fact, Logan and Luke collapsed onto the couch together the moment they had stepped out of the elevator. Within thirty minutes everybody was fast asleep, except for one dark brunette actress.<p>

Her phone buzzed loudly on her nightstand, snapping her awake. She had gotten a text message from a boy across town.

Previously she had sent him, _"Hey. Everything go as planned? She seems pretty happy."_

Now, he replied with, _"Yeah, pretty much. Almost had a minor setback, but I fixed it. Remind me not to use the word 'date' around her until after Friday."_

Blinking confusedly, she asked, _"What happened?"_ before shutting her eyes once again.

Almost an hour later, she opened her eyes, remembering that she had been talking to James. Unlocking her phone, she tapped on her messages and read, _"Don't worry about it. All you need to know is that Chad will be yours after Friday night." _Smiling softly, she set her phone back on the nightstand and snuggled down into the covers, satisfied with the day's work.

In the living room, the two boys were still fast asleep on the couch. Stirring slightly, Logan opened his eyes and looked around. As he rubbed his eyes, the younger boy's eyes fluttered open. Realizing that'd he had fallen asleep on Logan's shoulder, Luke blushed, thankful that the room was dark.

"Guess we'd better go to bed," the auburn haired boy remarked softly.

"Yeah," the platinum blonde agreed, standing up and holding his hand out towards Logan.

Smiling, Logan took his hand and stood up, putting his arm around the younger boy's shoulder. The still groggy pair slowly ambled towards the hallway. Pausing outside the doorway to their room, Logan glanced up to see mistletoe hanging above them. Following his gaze, Luke noticed the romance inducing garland and blushed an even deeper shade of red. Leaning down, the taller boy kissed him on the cheek before quietly opening the door and slipping in. Luke lingered in the hallway, speechless and hopelessly confused, bringing his hand to his tingling cheek.

Slowly and silently, Luke slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He sat patiently on the bed waiting for Logan to finish cleaning up. When Logan exited the bathroom, he saw Luke scribbling furiously in his notebook. Sitting on the other side of the bed, he softly whispered, "What are you writing in there?"

Jumping slightly, Luke shut the notebook and clutched it to his chest. "What? Oh, uh. Nothing," he said, feeling flustered. Sliding off of the bed, he dropped the notebook in his suitcase and picked up his pajamas, heading into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he emerged calmly and shut off the light. Silently, he crawled back into bed, turning on his iPod just loud enough for him to hear faintly and letting his mind plunge into thoughts of, _"Why did he do that? Does he know? Please tell me he doesn't know. __**I**__ don't even know for sure."_

He lay awake for about fifteen minutes before feeling how heavy his eyelids were getting. Allowing to them droop, the last thing he remembered hearing was, _"I don't know what to do, I think I'm falling for you…"_

**A/N: Luke and Logan think you should review this chapter. Mhm.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is one of the slower chapters, but it ended up being the longest. The next chapter will be up this Friday. By the way, thinks for your awesome reviews!**_  
><em>

_December 25th_

The next morning, the groggy young people awoke to the smell of gingerbread and wood burning in the fireplace along with the sound of Christmas music. Of course, the first ones awake were the two cheery women who were in the Christmas spirit. Just before they started baking the gingerbread cookies, the chipper blonde first grader skipped into the living room and spotted them in the kitchen. She decided to help them with the cookies as she eagerly waited for everyone to wake up so they could open presents. One by one, the teens and young adults emerged from their slumber. By the time everyone was awake, it was almost time for lunch. Once everything was cleaned up and put away, the group began handing out their gifts to each other.

Most of them were easy to buy for. The Random boys absolutely loved the assortment of video games and comedy movies they received. Skyler's gifts mainly consisted of musical memorabilia, considering he was a huge musical theatre enthusiast. Chase seemed to have collected a plethora of books and classical music. For Rider, he was given many band related items ranging from t-shirts to signed CD's. When he opened the gift Chase had given him, the reaction was priceless.

"The bass guitar used in _Scott Pilgrim vs. The World_,autographed by Michael Cera?" he exclaimed, holding a picture of it in his hand.

Shrugging, Chase replied, "It wasn't that difficult to find."

"Oh, just come here, you," Rider grinned, advancing toward Chase he nearly back into the Christmas tree.

The older boy overwhelmed his friend in a hug who squirmed, trying to escape. Just before Chase broke free of Rider's arms, Rider kissed him on the cheek and grinned.

For Luke, everybody bought him the highest quality notebooks, paints, pencils, and erasers. Logan's gifts consisted of things from a sports fan's wildest dreams such as autographed pictures, authentic jerseys, and sports related movies.

In addition to that, Luke had painted him a picture of the game winning touchdown in one of Logan's favorite football games. His face immediately brightened when he pulled the small canvas out of the box. His eyes met Luke's as he grinned, "Thanks, Luke," and pulled him into a bear hug. Luke blushed furiously, but the only one who seemed to notice was Cassie.

The girls were a bit more difficult to shop for. The two younger Random girls weren't because all they really wanted was science equipment and spy gear. But when it came to the three older ones, most of them had no idea how to shop for them, but luckily they knew the basics of what they liked. Penelope and Portlyn enjoyed what every girly girl does: dresses, shoes, and accessories.

Tawni, like the other girls, also enjoyed receiving such. From Skyler and Sonny, she was given a pink topaz necklace with matching earrings. From Portlyn and Penelope, she received an envelope enclosing a note that read, _"We'll take you on a shopping spree to anywhere in the city sometime this week!"_

Even the younger girls, Audrey and Zora, knew what to get her. Of course, they couldn't pass up a chance to give their costar a scare. Once she had thrown the gag rubber snake at the pranksters, she reached back into the bag and pulled out a feather clutch purse. "To match that dress you bought for the next Tween Choice Awards," they explained with innocent smiles as everybody laughed.

The Random boys, being less knowledgeable about buying gifts for girls, printed up five certificates that said, _"You'll do whatever I ask for one whole day." _A puzzled expression appeared on her face as she read the title.

"Just give one of us a certificate and we'll do whatever you want for a whole day," Grady clarified.

"Oh," Tawni nodded. "Thanks!"

Over in Cassie's area of the room, she was surrounded by CD's, DVD's, and video games. Once everyone had figured out that Cassie wanted to be a singer or an actress someday, they decided to find things to help her improve. CD's for vocal exercises, DVD's for observing the actors and actresses, video games that help improve a person's singing voice.

Finally, only one box was left for her. Reciting the card aloud, she said, _"Hopefully this will come in handy when you make it to stardom."_ She smiled to him across the room and set the card down. Opening the box and removing the tissue paper, she pulled out an old Polaroid camera that printed pictures instantly. Along with it were a few packages of the refill film cards and a small corkboard with pushpins to pin the developed pictures on.

Grinning, she beckoned him over. Once he sat down next to her, she hugged him and whispered, "Thanks, Luke. I love it."

Across the room, Audrey nudged Zora with her elbow and the two looked at each other mischievously.

Everybody's trains of thought were interrupted by a delighted squeal from Caleigh. Around her were small piles of princess dress up costumes, jewelry, and animated Barbie movies. In her arms was a stuffed animal lavender unicorn.

"Santa Claus did get me a unicorn!" she shrieked, jumping around the room happily as everyone grinned.

"Caleigh, I think you have one more gift to open," Cassie smiled, handing her a small package.

Taking the card off, Caleigh stood next to Cassie, attempting to read the card.

"Merry… Chr-Christmas... Caleigh!" she read, grinning happily when Cassie nodded.

Setting the card down, she tore the pink wrapping paper off, revealing a storybook hand written and illustrated by Luke.

"Pri-Princess Caleigh… and the Magi-Magical… Uni… Corns… Oh! Unicorns! Princess Caleigh and the Magical Unicorns!" she beamed.

Running over to where he was standing, she threw her arms around his waist in a hug and shouted, "Thank you, Luke!"

He patted her head softly and smiled, "You're welcome, Princess Caleigh."

In Sonny's little area, she was surrounded by the presents her friends had given her. From Skyler, she received a blue and yellow scarf and a crystal pendulum necklace. _"You said Dwight was one of your favorites, right?"_ the card had read.

She beamed at him and said, "I love the Dalton stuff, Sky," before hugging him.

"I thought you might," he smiled, shrugging.

As she sat down again, she moved aside the Nerf gun Rider had given her, the TARDIS notebook and Sonic Screwdriver pen from Shayne, the "Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers" piano sheet music book from Zora and Audrey, and the "Glee: The Music, Vol. 7" CD Logan got her.

Next to her was a painting of sunflowers that Luke had painted especially for her and the solar powered flower bobble-heads that the Random boys had gotten her. In front of her was a small box wrapped in outer space patterned wrapping paper. Inside, she removed the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver replica from Chase.

He watched as she laughed happily and looked to him.

"Thanks, Chase!"

"Hey, if you want, I can modify it to actually open doors when we get back to Los Angeles," he smiled.

Laughing, she hugged him quickly, knowing he wasn't much of a hugger.

From the fabulous three, she was given a white, layered dress with heels to match and a rose hairpin.

As she thanked each of them, Tawni suggested, "Maybe you can wear this stuff when you go to see _Phantom of the Opera_ with James on Friday."

"Good idea," she smiled, nodding.

Overhearing Tawni say "_Phantom of the Opera_" and "with James on Friday," he slowly back towards the tree and took his envelope off of it, sliding it into his pocket. Inside the envelope were two tickets to the very same show on the very same day. James had beaten him to the punch.

As Chad returned to his spot on the floor, Skyler picked up the cowboy hat he had given Chad and set it on his head. Mock grimacing, Chad lifted the brim up so he could roll his eyes at his best friend. Picking up the small flat package given to him by Skyler, along with the hat, he read the card silently. _"Track 2. Give it a listen. Change the name."_

He gently tore the paper off, revealing a copy of Darren Criss' EP called, "Human." He rolled his eyes again and smiled, setting it down next to the picture of the brand new electric guitar that Rider, Chase, and Logan promised to get him when they returned to California and the painting of rose on a piano that Luke had painted for him.

Opening the very last box, Chad removed a brand new black leather jacket from Portlyn and Penelope.

"Now you can get rid of that old one," Portlyn beamed, unknowingly referring to the jacket that once belonged to his father.

Instead of bringing it up, Chad just smiled and replied, "Oh. Thanks, Portlyn. Thanks, Penelope."

As he began cleaning up his portion of the room, Sonny approached him.

"Um… Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey."

"Would you mind too terribly if I gave you your Christmas present when we get back to LA?" she asked.

"Oh, nah. I was going to ask you that in just a bit. Nothing here screamed 'Sonny' while I was Christmas shopping," he answered. _"Except Broadway tickets,"_ his conscience reminded him bitterly.

"Oh, good," she smiled softly.

"Good," he nodded.

Running a hand through her hair, she replied, "Fine."

"Fine," he said, picking up shreds of wrapping paper.

Sonny stood there, hesitating for a moment before going back to her area and clean up.

Once everyone was done cleaning, lunch was served. A variety of foods such as bagels, Ramen noodles, and salad were laid out on the kitchen counter and dining room table. As Sonny walked into the kitchen to toast a bagel, Hannah exclaimed, "Sonny! Thank you so much for the book. I've always wanted to read 'A Walk To Remember,' but I could never find the time to stop by the library."

"Oh, you're welcome! I thought you might like it," she beamed, dropping the two halves of her bagel into the toaster.

Turning to her mother, Sonny grinned, "Later, we definitely have to watch _Charlie St. Cloud_."

Connie nodded in agreement as Chad walked into the kitchen, saying, "Ugh. That movie with Efron in it? Why in the world would you want to watch that?"

"You do realize that he's an amazing actor, right?" Sonny rolled her eyes.

"You do realize that he's a jerk, right?" he retorted.

"So are you," she pointed out, picking up a napkin. "Well, sometimes."

"Ouch. I'm wounded, Munroe," he smirked, internally glad that they were speaking again after she had been avoiding him for the entire evening before.

"Sonny, be nice," Connie reprimanded mockingly.

"Wha—Mom!"

Smiling to Chad, Connie shrugged, "What? He gave me the box set of the latest season of Mackenzie Falls."

Shaking her head disapprovingly, Sonny scolded, "I can't believe you watch Mackenzie Falls."

"You used to—" Connie began.

"Mom!" she hissed.

"Oh? Little Miss Sonshine used to be a Mackenzie Falls fan?" Chad smirked, picking up the jar of peanut butter.

Removing her bagel from the toaster, Sonny muttered, "Psh. What? No I wasn't."

She glanced over at the blond whose smirk slowly morphed into a grin.

"Okay, maybe I was…" she mumbled just audible enough for him to hear.

He laughed softly in return, "That's an interesting piece of information."

Before another word could be said, Caleigh came bounding into the kitchen.

"Chaddy, I'm hungry," she said, looking up at him.

"I know, Caleigh. I'm making your sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly alright?"

"Ew, no jelly," she grimaced.

"C'mon, kiddo. You'll love it," he said, glancing down at her.

"Noooo," she shook her head, hiding behind the counter.

"But, Caleigh, _all_ the princesses _love_ peanut butter and jelly," Sonny informed her.

"…They do?" the small blonde asked, peeking over the countertop at the brunette.

"Mhm. It's their favorite," she nodded seriously.

After a few moments of contemplation, Caleigh cautiously sighed, "Okay. I'll _try_ it."

Grinning, Chad put the two halves of the sandwich together and handed the plate to her.

Taking it to the kitchen table, she climbed up onto the chair and took a small bite. A wide grin spread across her face and she chirped, "I like it!"

As Connie, Hannah, and Sonny laughed, Chad walked over to her and kissed the top of her head, mussing her hair, "I knew you would."

"Hey! Watch the hair," she exclaimed, trying to fix it with her forearm since her hands had jelly on them.

"Huh. It _is_ a Cooper thing," Sonny concluded.

Later that afternoon, once all the cups, dishes, and wrapping paper were cleaned up, everybody began getting good use of their Christmas presents.

* * *

><p>Immediately after helping tidy up, Luke confined himself to the art studio as usual, eager to try out his new supplies. Cassie, Tawni, Portlyn, and Penelope decided to watch one of the new movies that Cassie had received for Christmas. Taking over the living room, the four girls flopped down on the couches and floor to watch <em>The Last Song<em>. In their room, Audrey and Zora began programming their new spy gear. With the amount of equipment they had altogether, the girls would be unstoppable secret agents.

In the game room annex, Shayne was in the process of teaching the Random boys how to play "Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword." Meanwhile, Rider sat in the back of the room, observing as he loaded his new CD's onto his laptop. Beside him, Chase was already delving into one of his new books on conspiracy theories, muttering about how the writers were half-wits. While everyone occupied themselves with their new belongings and possessions, Logan began skimming through recipes that he and Skyler could prepare for later that night as Skyler loaded one of his new musical soundtracks into the stereo.

In the room she shared with Portlyn, Penelope, and Tawni, Sonny was playing her new Glee CD in her computer and singing along softly as she packed some things away.

"_Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead. Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead…"_

Sighing as the song ended, she paused the music and shut her laptop. Picking up the piano book that Zora and Audrey had given her, she stood up and left the room. As she turned down the hallway, she stopped just outside the recording studio. Peeking through the slightly ajar door, she caught a glimpse of the three-name jerkthrob at the piano.

For the last hour, the blond had been playing the same song, using the sheet music he found online. He had took Skyler's advice and listened to the second track of the "Human – EP" CD. He had come to the conclusion that the song was written for a girl named Sami. From the singer's point of view, Sami was a beautiful girl who was completely oblivious to the singer's love for her.

By now, he had the whole song committed to memory.

"_Alright, this time I'll record just to see how it turns out,"_ Chad thought to himself.

After setting up the sound equipment, he returned to the piano and straightened out the papers.

_I've seen her face, I've heard her name._

_I've lost my place and she's to blame._

When he was around a certain brunette, Chad could barely keep his focus. He would stumble over words and blurt stupid things that he really did not mean at all. What he said to her often hurt her and the look in her eyes always told him so. But he knew he couldn't take it back.

_And I can't stand it when I'm staring in her eyes,_

_And she's not looking back._

_It ain't a big surprise._

On various occasions, the pair had locked eyes. Neither ever had anything to say, or rather, they couldn't say what they so desperately wanted to. To avoid further awkwardness, she was always the one to break their gaze.

_I've heard music, I've heard noise._

_I wish that she could hear her voice…_

Before the trip began, Chad had heard Sonny sing a few times before. He had heard her songs on the radio every once in a while, but that was it. To him, hearing her in person was the most wonderful experience.

_The way that I do, when I go to sleep at night_

_And dream my life away,_

_But she's gone when I awake._

The emotion and color of her voice emanated flawlessly through the air. She was the kind of person who could change your mood just by walking into the room.

_Sami, _

_Sami,_

_Why can't you see_

_What you're doing to me?_

Sonny never seemed to notice the change in Chad's personality when he was around his friends and when they were alone. At least, it wasn't evident to Chad.

_The way her hair falls in her eyes, makes me wonder if_

_She'll ever see through my disguise, I'm under her spell._

From a normal teenage boy's point of view, Sonny could be considered as a stereotypical "hot Hollywood actress." But to Chad, "hot Hollywood actress" didn't do her justice.

_Everything is falling, I don't know where to land._

_Everyone knows who she is,_

_But she don't know who I am._

She deserved a much more vibrant and precise description. She had captivated him with her bright personality. To him, that's what made her beautiful. For whatever reason, he could never seem to let her know that.

_Sami,_

_Sami,_

_Why can't you see_

_What you're doing to me?_

Just before he began the song, Sonny slipped into the booth quietly and observed. She was feeling a bit guilty for intruding, but she recognized the first notes of the song and wanted to talk with him afterwards anyways. Watching silently, she fixed her gaze on the piano as his fingers flew over the keys so gracefully.

_I've see you singin' on that stage,_

_Looking like an angel and all I do is pray…_

Listening to the song and seeing the emotion on Chad's face, the pieces began falling into place for Sonny. The only problem was the person he was singing about.

_That maybe one day you'll hear my song and understand that all along_

_There's something more that I'm trying to say, when I say…_

The thought that he could be singing about her never once crossed her mind. Straight away, she thought of the girl from the evening before. Samantha Martin. Could he be singing about her? The name fit as well. _"It has to be her,"_ Sonny mused, sighing inside.

_Sami,_

_Sami,_

_Why can't you see_

_What you're doing to me?_

Using music as an opportunity to release his feelings, Chad let all of his emotions run loose into the song. _"It wasn't like anyone would ever hear it,"_ he thought sullenly.

_Sami,_

_Sami,_

_Why can't you see_

_What you're doing to me,_

_What you're doing to me?_

After both his voice and piano faded out, he sighed deeply and stared at the lyrics written on the pages in front of him. Suddenly, he heard a distinct clap, causing him to turn sharply towards the noise. When he realized it was Sonny, he rubbed the back of his head nervously. Slowly, she pulled the door open and entered the studio.

"That was really good," she said with a soft smile, gesturing to the piano.

"Thanks," he nodded politely.

"I'm sorry for intruding like this. I just heard you playing and recognized the song…" she explained.

"S'alright," he shrugged. "I was just messing around."

"Didn't seem like it to me," she hinted.

In the back of his mind, a voice that oddly reminded him of Chase said, _"She knows."_

"Thinking about someone in particular?" she questioned, her face blank of all emotion, but her eyes filled with anxiety.

"Not really," he lied flawlessly as he had done many times before. Showing absolutely no trace of his true thoughts or feelings was what he did all day everyday in Hollywood. He wasn't about to stop now.

"You don't have to lie, Chad," she said quietly, resting her hand on the piano. "I already know."

"_Told you"_ his conscience reiterated as he took a deep breath.

"Look, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. It's none of my business. I just think that if you like her that much, you should tell her," the brunette suggested sincerely.

"Wait… Who are you talking about?" the blonde asked with a incredibly confused look on his face.

"You and Samantha," she assumed. "Who did you think I was talking about?"

In a moment of hesitation he considered admitting the truth to her, but before he could decide, his mouth automatically blurted, "Oh yeah, me too. I was just checking."

Once the words had left his mouth, he mentally slapped himself. _"You could have told her, stupid! You're almost out of time, remember?"_

"I think you should tell her," Sonny nodded, reinforcing her suggestion once again.

Lowering his eyes guiltily, she paused, "…You _did _get her number, right?"

His mind instantly jumped at the opportunity to fix his situation.

"I kind of forgot…"

"Huh. You _really_ must've landed hard on your head when you fell for her," she joked, turning to leave.

Noticing the book in her hand, Chad said, "Wait a sec, Sonny… What's that you're holding?"

"Oh, this? It's piano book I was going to try out before I knew you were in here," she shrugged.

"The studio is yours," he smiled softly, getting up from the piano bench.

Returning the smile, she nodded her thanks and took her place at the piano. Quietly, he exited the studio and took a seat at the computer in the editing room. Ending his recording, he put the headphones on played it back. After editing out the dialogue between Sonny and himself at the end, he saved the file and emailed it to himself. For about the next hour or so, he played around with the audio effects program and the acoustic electric guitar.

After playing through a few songs from memory and perfecting them, he took off the headphones and set them down on the table. After a few moments, he realized that he could hear Sonny singing and playing the piano in the studio. He had almost forgotten she was in the studio, but the sound of her angelic voice brought him back to reality. He had taken the headphones off only in time to hear the ending chorus, but her voice had him mesmerized in that short time.

_And if you have a minute, why don't we go_

_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_

_This could be the end of everything,_

_So why don't we go somewhere only we know,_

_Somewhere only we know,_

_Somewhere only we know?_

As she concluded the song, it was Chad's turn to applaud. Looking up from the piano, she smiled, blushing fiercely. Once she had closed her book, she picked it up and headed towards the studio door.

"That was amazing, Sonny," Chad smiled genuinely. "I kind of wish I would have recorded that."

"Thanks," she grinned. "Maybe I'll record it later. Right now, I'm kind of starving."

"Me too," he nodded, holding the door open for her.

She nodded her thanks and headed down the hallway as he turned off the lights in the music room, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

><p>After they had finished their movie, the three older girls had gone to see what was being cooked for dinner. Cassie strolled down the hall and put her DVD back in her suitcase before stopping by the art studio to see what Luke was up to. Knocking lightly, she pushed the door open and poked her head in.<p>

He barely looked up from the table where he was sketching attentively, acknowledging her presence by saying, "Hi Cassie."

"Hey, Luke," she greeted, closing the door and approaching him at the table. "What are you drawing?"

Quickly shutting his sketchbook, he replied, "What? Oh, nothing. Just sketching stuff."

She blinked at him skeptically and reached for the sketchbook. To prevent her from picking it up, he slammed his arm down on top of it. She stared at him, raising an eyebrow the way Chad did when he wasn't sure if someone was serious.

"Fine. I was just curious," she conceded, holding her arms up as she took a step back and moved towards the computer.

Cautiously, Luke removed his arm from the table and flipped the sketchbook open to continue. Quietly, Cassie snuck behind him and peered over his shoulder.

"Oh, is that Logan?" she asked softly.

Luke closed his eyes and exhaled quietly. He motioned for her to sit down in the chair placed on the other side of the table's corner to his right. Once she was seated, he flipped the sketchbook to the very first page and slid it over to her, running a hand through his hair.

"Wow, Luke… These are unbelievable," Cassie whispered, smiling approvingly.

Inside, vivid illustrations of his friends and their unusual situations filled the pages.

"Is this one me?" she asked, her smile evident in her voice.

Glancing over at the picture she was referring to, he nodded, "Yeah. Your rendition of 'Merry Christmas Darling' was perfect. I got the idea early this morning to sketch it and give it to you with the camera, but I didn't get a chance to finish it."

The blonde nodded understandingly as she flipped to the next sheet. There, she found the page was covered in profiles of Logan. In one, he was breaking apart a squabble between Chase and Rider. In another, he was pretending to be a knight for Princess Caleigh. In the bottom corner, Logan appeared to be smiling as he looked up at a small bunch of mistletoe.

She smiled warmly and looked at Luke, whose eyes were intensely fixated on the table, and mused, "You really like him, huh?"

Unable to speak, the older boy nodded silently.

"Have you ever talked to him about it?"

Again, no words left his mouth. He merely shook his head, sighing.

"Well, you should," she stated confidently. "If you don't say anything now… you might miss your chance. And you'll really regret it if you don't try. Living in a world of 'what ifs' and 'what could have beens'—"

"Are you really quoting _Dalton_ to me?" he cut her off, hiding a smile.

"How'd you know?" she asked in a surprised tone.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Skyler's quoted that exact phrase to me many, _many_ times before."

"It's totally accurate though," she pointed out, laughing.

The smile faded from his face slowly as he sighed, "I don't know, Cassie. I'm still awfully confused about everything."

The blonde girl nodded sympathetically, as she shut the sketchbook and slid it back across the table to him and stood up.

"I wish I could help you more with this kind of thing, but I think only you can help yourself right now. Besides, I have zero relationship experience whatsoever," she smiled apologetically.

Smiling faintly, he glanced up at her. "I understand. Thanks anyways, though."

"If you ever need to talk things out with someone, I'll be here."

"I'll remember that," he noted.

As Cassie headed for the door, she paused, remembering why she had stopped by the room in the first place, "Oh! I almost forgot. Logan and Skyler cooked dinner for everybody tonight. It should be ready soon.

"Oh, alright. I'll be there in a sec," Luke said, picking up his sketchbook and gathering his art supplies as he followed her out the door and down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Wow, I'm full. Can't eat another bite," Nico said, stretching out his limbs as he stood up to take his plate to the sink.<p>

"Dinner was great, guys," Sonny smiled, looking to Skyler and Logan across from her.

"Thank you for cooking tonight, boys," Connie smiled sincerely.

"Ahh, thank you, Miss Munroe and Ms. Munroe," Skyler mock bowed in his chair as Logan mimicked him.

While the people still sitting at the table laughed, Hannah turned around in her chair to face the girls in the kitchen.

"And thank you girls for doing the dishes."

Smiling back at her, the devious blonde and the equally devious brunette replied, "No problem, Hannah."

"I think my parents would strangle me if I didn't help with something anyways," Zora shrugged, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"Me too," Audrey nodded in unison.

"Is there anything else that needs to be done?" Shayne asked politely.

Shaking her head and glancing around the room, Connie answered, "Not that I can see. Zora and Audrey have got the dishes and Jason and Alan offered to clean up the kitchen utensils."

The boys chuckled softly as Sonny corrected her, "Mom, their names are Logan and Luke."

"Oh, right. Sorry, boys," she smiled apologetically.

As the girls finished rinsing and drying the dishes, the boys scrubbed the residual grime off of the pots and pans. Every once in a while, Logan and Luke would "accidentally" splash the other subtly, causing a smile to curl on the other boy's lips.

Meanwhile, their friends continued conversing and laughing as the Connie and Hannah retold stories from Sonny's, Chad's, and Cassie's childhoods. The moment Cassie made mention of their father, Chad cleared his throat and got up from the table, murmuring, "I just remembered I have to go do something."

Glancing at Cassie after watching his friend exit, Skyler offered, "I'll go check on him."

"I'm coming with you," she replied, following after him.

"…I need to go get a different book," Chase sighed, heading down the hall behind them.

Rider being the only remaining Mackenzie Falls boy at the dinner table stammered his excuse to leave with them. "I'm just… Gonna…"

Stumbling as his left foot caught the leg of his chair, he regained his balance and scurried after Chase. Everybody left at the table simply shrugged at the abruptly strange exit and carried on with their conversations, heading off to different parts of the apartment.

Once the only ones left were Luke and Logan, a full-fledged water fight broke out between the pair. Grabbing the faucet head, Luke sprayed the older boy with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, okay. I see how it is," Logan chided, the corners of his mouth hinting of a smile.

In return, he scooped a handful of soap suds and dumped it on the blond's head.

Laughing, both continued the battle until they realized there was more water and soap on the floor than in the sink.

Down the hall and in the Mackenzie Falls boys' room, Skyler threw the door open and found the blond laying back on his bed, tossing Rider's hacky sack to the ceiling and catching it.

"Hey, Dylan…" Cassie greeted him quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hi Cassie," he droned uninterestedly, not bothering to turn his head towards her.

"Look, if this is about Dad…" she began.

"It's not about Dad," he cut her off, catching the hacky sack and glancing up at her.

"It's not?"

"Nah, I just didn't want to hear any more old and embarrassing stories," he shrugged, tossing the sack back up towards the ceiling.

Glaring, she snatched it out of the air and slapped him on the arm. "And you had me worried for nothing."

As she sauntered past Skyler, Chase, and Rider, she flung the hacky sack back to its owner and shut the door behind her. Once they were sure she was gone, the boys burst out into laughter.

"Alright, enough," Chase said condescendingly. "Now, what was the real reason you left?"

"I told you, I was bored and didn't want to hear any more stories," the blond shrugged.

"Yes, but when you're bored you at least _attempt_ to amuse yourself. I distinctly recall you mentioning that you didn't understand why Rider was so fond of that hacky sack," the dark brunet reminisced as he rummaged through his suitcase for another book.

"Good job, Sherlock. Your point being _what_ exactly?" Chad retorted as he sat up and flattened down his hair.

"My point is, you're not admitting the full truth. Besides, your facial expression when we walked in was evident. You were thinking about something."

"Or _someone_," Skyler mentioned pointedly.

As the blond shot a withering glare at him, the obnoxious musician with the hacky sack asked, "Who?"

After a few moments of patronizing stares, he realized, "Oh, you mean Sonny!"

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," the tall green eyed actor remarked sarcastically.

"Well?" Chase prompted, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"What do you mean, 'Well?' So what if I was thinking about her?" the blue eyed boy grumbled.

"What did you do this time?" Skyler sighed.

Before he could answer, an unusual melody filled the room, causing them all to look around. Immediately, Skyler headed towards the table to the left of the TV where he had let his laptop go into sleep mode. On the screen, a box read "Incoming call from _Iclemyer_" along with the options to accept or reject the call.

"Hold that thought," he called over his shoulder as he clicked the "Accept" button.

Within seconds, he was face to face with a hazel eyed goofball wearing a red Santa Claus hat.

"Merry Christmas, Skyler!" he grinned widely, leaning back against the wood paneled wall behind him.

"Merry Christmas, Darren," Skyler chuckled as Darren turned his laptop around to face the group of young adults scattered across what looked like a game room.

"Say 'Merry Christmas' to Skyler, everyone," he heard Darren's voice say.

"Merry Christmas!" they chorused as they turned their heads to face him.

"Merry Christmas!" he waved to them. "Oh! And happy Hanukkah!" he added.

"Aww, he remembered that we're Jewish, Di!" he heard Lea laugh.

Turning to Darren, Dianna commented, "I like him, Darr'!"

"So do I," Darren replied with pride in his voice as he turned the laptop back to face himself.

Before he had time to say another word, Skyler heard Rider exclaim, "Seriously? Way to go, genius."

"Wait, what did he do?" the tall boy yelled as he turned in his chair.

"He told Sonny he liked another girl," Chase answered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You did _not_!" Skyler gasped, as Chad shut his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Is this a bad time?" Darren inquired, tilting his head to the side, reminding Skyler of a small dog.

"What? Oh, no. It's fine. Just give me a sec," he replied, side-glancing at Darren on his computer screen.

"Care to elaborate on the situation?" the boy in the glasses asked admonishingly.

Opening his eyes again, the blond sighed and explained, "I was just playing through this song on the piano, but I didn't know Sonny was in the audio room. She heard me singing and thought it was about this girl I met yesterday, who happens to have a boyfriend by the way."

"Let me get this straight," Skyler began, being interrupted by a snicker from Rider's direction.

Silenced by a glare from Chase, he shrugged innocently, saying, "What? It's funny, 'cause he's not."

Shooting him a disapproving look, Skyler replied, "Ha ha ha―Shut it, Kingston."

Shaking his head, showing signs of obvious irritation, he continued, "Anyways. She asked you if you were singing about another girl and you told her _yes_?"

When Chad didn't so much as nod his head, Skyler groaned, "_Please_ tell me it wasn't the song I think it was."

This time, the younger boy fell backwards onto the bed and shoved a pillow over his face.

"Of course it was," he said exasperatedly, massaging his temple gently.

"Not to intrude, but I'm just curious… What song was it?" Darren asked with an exceedingly confused look on his face.

As he answered, "Sami," the unruly haired boy noticed that companion had moved into a quieter room.

"You mean from _Little White Lie_?" he reaffirmed in a surprised tone.

"Mhm. But the piano version from your EP," Skyler nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh. Also, I heard him say that Sonny heard him singing? Sonny's the one that James Conroy sang with last night, right?"

When Skyler nodded, Chad groaned, "Ugh. Don't even mention James Conroy. He got tickets to _Phantom of the Opera_ on Broadway for this Friday."

"Isn't that what you got for Sonny?" Rider asked for clarification.

"Yeah," he exhaled, clearly frustrated. "Can we not talk about this right now? I'm trying to figure out how to fix this mess."

When the troubled teen placed the pillow back over his head, the boy in the glasses picked up a new book and left the room. Once his friend had left, Rider picked up the remote and flipped on the TV, causing the blond to groan in aggravation.

"Oh, speaking of _Phantom_…" Darren hinted.

Once the pair of green eyes met his hazel ones, he smiled, "Would you come to see _Phantom_ with me this Friday? Chris gave me two tickets for Christmas. He figured I would meet someone at the party…"

"I'd love to," Skyler smiled affectionately. "Maybe we could stop somewhere and grab a cup of coffee before?"

"Sounds perfect," the older boy concurred with an enormous grin.

* * *

><p>On her way towards her room, Tawni heard a certain blonde Random's voice say, "That little—"<p>

"I know!" another voice said as she paused outside the three younger girl's

"What should we do?" a third voice exclaimed.

Curious, Tawni knocked on the door and pushed it open before waiting for an answer.

"Knock, knock! Hello, girls! What are you up to?" she asked in an overly cheerful tone.

"What do you want, Tawni?" Zora replied suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing…" she answered as nonchalantly as she could, closing the door behind her.

"Are you sure?" Audrey implied, raising an eyebrow and leaning to block the laptop from Tawni's view.

"Show me what's on the laptop," she commanded.

Zora folded her arms across her chest and began, "Why should we—"

"Don't argue. Just show me it."

Glancing around at the other two, Cassie shrugged and nodded her approval.

"If we show you, you have to promise not to tell her," Audrey stated slowly to emphasize her point.

"Yeah, yeah. Just show me what you were all fussing over," the older blonde waved it off.

Plugging in a set of headphones, Zora handed the laptop to her and pressed play on the loaded video.

The clip began with a familiar brunette standing with her back to the camera in what resembled the art studio. She was holding her bejeweled iPhone up to her ear and checking her outfit in a small mirror hanging on the wall.

"_Let's go over the plan one more time. You find Sonny at the party. You do whatever it takes to get her to give you a second chance."_

Pausing the video, Tawni softly gasped, "Is that Penelope?"

When the three girls nodded in unison, she continued watching alertly.

"_Then you ask her to sing with you. She says yes. You offer to take her to __**Phantom of the Opera**__. She's swept of her feet and you two live happily ever after just like I will with Chad. Got it?"_

Tawni pressed her lips together in a firm line, her eyebrows furrowed as anger bubbled within her.

"_Good. You better not screw this up, James,"_ Penelope spat before ending the call in one swift movement.

"I can't believe her!" Tawni sputtered furiously as the girls tried to quiet her down.

"We don't know what to do," Audrey frowned, closing the video.

"Sonny and Chad are so meant for each other," Cassie sighed.

"Not that, I can't believe she'd do this to me! She knows I like James!" the diva fumed in a loud whisper.

"…Typical Tawni," Zora shook her head. "But you'll help us stop her, right?"

"I never pass up a chance for revenge," she nodded. "I think I have just the plan… But I might have to let a few more people in on this."

Before any of them could say another word, there was a knock on the door. Luckily, they waited for an answer before opening the door.

"Who is it?" Cassie called.

"Penelope. Can I come in for a sec?" she replied, seeming to have no knowledge that they were speaking about her just seconds before.

"Uh, yeah!" Zora answered, eyes wide as she shut the laptop and threw a blanket over it while Audrey grabbed several bottles of nail polish from Cassie's nightstand and set them on the floor.

"Hey," she smiled as she peered in. "What are you girls up to?"

"Oh, Tawni's just teaching us how to do our nails correctly since don't have them done professionally," Audrey shrugged, showing no signs of guilt or secret whatsoever.

"Ahh," the brunette nodded knowingly. "Well, we're going to watch _A Christmas Story_ if you guys want to join us."

"Oh, sounds fun!" Cassie said, perfectly faking her interest. "I'll be out in a bit. What about you guys?"

"Sure! Give us five minutes," Zora answered.

"Alright," she noted, leaving the room, seeming satisfied.

Once they were sure she was gone, each of them let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, you might just make it in the biz, Cassie," Tawni complimented.

Smiling for a moment, she replied, "Thanks."

Then, she glanced at her friends and back at Tawni. "As long as whoever you want to tell won't blab to her, I think we'll be fine."

"Yeah. This is getting a little risky. Make sure they can be trusted," Zora added.

"Believe me, they'll want to stop James and Penelope as much we do."

* * *

><p>"Hey, I'll be right back. I'm gonna go get something to drink," Tawni lied as she slid off of her bed.<p>

"'Kay, 'kay," Portlyn and Penelope chorused, staring at Taylor Lautner in slow motion on their TV.

Slipping out of the room, she headed down the ball and gently knocked on the door of the Mackenzie Falls' boys room.

A few seconds later the door opened and the blonde diva was face to face with the crabby intellectual.

"Can I help you?" he muttered.

"I need to speak with Skyler. It's important," she glared seriously.

"Let her in," Skyler called from the chair in front of the table on the far side of the room.

"S'up, Blondie?" he greeted her as she arrived at the table.

"I need to know how can I get tickets to this Friday's showing of _Phantom of the Opera_ on Broadway," she stated straightforwardly.

Raising an eyebrow, he shrugged, "You can't. It's sold out."

"Ugh, this just ruins everything!" she grumbled.

"Why do you need the tickets?" Chad asked, sitting up in his bed.

Holding up her index finger towards him, signaling for him to stop speaking, she retorted, "Unless you can get me into the Majestic Theater to see _Phantom of the Opera_, I will not speak to you."

"Actually, I can," he replied, pulling out the envelope containing the tickets from the nightstand drawer and holding it up.

"How―"

"Not important. Now, answer my question. Why do you need tickets?"

"I need a ticket so I can get revenge on someone," she divulged.

"Who, Conroy?"

"No... Well, actually, yeah. I guess. Him and Penelope," she explained vaguely.

"Conroy and Penelope? What on Earth are you planning?" Skyler interjected.

She sighed, "What I'm going to tell you next cannot under any circumstances be discussed outside of this room. Do I make myself clear?"

Once Chad and Skyler nodded in agreement, she turned around and glanced at Logan, Rider, Luke, and Chase.

"You too. I know you can hear me too."

"It's a bit difficult to not hear you in here. I suggest you speak at a lower volume if you would like to keep your secret," Chase remarked indifferently.

"Right. Just answer my question," she rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her hip.

As the four remaining boys nodded, she smiled, "Good. I need a ticket so I can follow Sonny and James around on their non-date. Penelope and James have cooked up this whole scheme so he ends up with Sonny and Penelope ends up with Chad."

"I knew something was up with that girl! She kept flirting with Chad on stage yesterday. I thought I was seeing things," Skyler rolled his eyes.

"She _still_ has a crush on you? Man, that girl has _got_ to let _go_," Rider shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you in?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

Glancing at Skyler, Chad nodded, "Yeah, I'm in."

"I'll see if Darren can help us," Skyler added, picking up his cell phone and dialing the musician's number.

"Darren Criss? Oh! Is that why your hair was so messed up after you two performed 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' last night?" the blonde commented carelessly, twirling her hair around her finger.

Swatting at the air in her direction, he tried to silence her as he waited for Darren to answer.

"Figures. Everyone steals my dreams. First Sonny, then Sonny again... And now you," she sighed dramatically.

"Shut it, Blondie―Oh hey, Darren!" he stammered, his cheeks flushing a light pink.

"Hey, Sky!" they could hear the other cheerful voice chirp. "What's up?"

"Sorry for calling you this late at night, but a friend needs some help with something..."

"Oh, it's fine! I'm still a little jet lagged. Stuck on California time. How can I help?"

"Well, apparently James and Penelope are plotting to make Sonny fall for James," Skyler sighed.

"Also, Penelope knew I had a crush on James, but she totally ignored the girl code for her own selfish gain!" the blonde prima-donna interjected.

"Who was that?" asked the confused singer on the other line.

"Tawni. She wants revenge on both Penelope and James. They want to tail Conroy on his date—"

" _Non_-date," Chad objected.

"Whatever. They're thinking about going to spy on him and Sonny while they're on their non-date which happens to be at the Majestic Theatre this Friday night at 8:00," the green eyed actor concluded.

"Oh! We can join then, if you want. I always thought there was something a little off about that guy," Darren consented.

"Great," Skyler replied, smiling to himself as he heard Naya ask, _"Is Darren talking to his boyfriend again?"_ and then lots of shushing from Darren.

"I guess I'll let you get back to your friends," he laughed under his breath.

Chuckling softly, Darren answered, "Alright. 'Night, Skyler."

"G'night, Darren," he grinned, ending the call.

"So are you and Darren with us on this?" Tawni inquired, seeming even more edgy than when she had walked into the room.

"Yeah, we are," he responded with a nod.

"Perfect," she said, turning on her heel to leave.

Just before she pulled the door open, she hesitated.

Whirling around again, she declared, "If any of you ever tell anyone that I came to you for help, I will _end_ you."

"Yeah, yeah," Rider waved her off, mumbling into his pillow.

Glaring, she left the boys in their room and headed back to hers.

"What took you so long? I thought you were just getting water," Portlyn complained. "You already missed the part where Jacob takes off his shirt!"

"What?" the blonde diva asked confusedly, momentarily forgetting her excuse. "Oh! I spilled water all over the floor and had to wipe it up," she shrugged, flopping down on the bed.

"Rewind?" Penelope offered, holding up the remote control.

"Sure," she nodded in return as she crawled under the covers.

As the three starlets contently studied every movement of their movie, the rest of their friends and most of the east coast settled into their warm beds and drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: Review pleaseee?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm so sorry that I'm posting this so late. I totally forgot and I'm actually at my cousin's house right now. The next chapter isn't exactly done yet... I'll do my best to get it done and posted tomorrow, but I don't know if I can. Sorry in advance if I can't post it tomorrow.**

_December 30th_

"So… What do you think?" the brunette asked nervously, stepping out into the hall in order for her mother to analyze her outfit.

For the special occasion, Sonny was dressed in the white, layered dress given to her by Portlyn, Tawni, and Penelope. Around the waist, a black ribbon was tied in a bow behind her. Leaving her hair down, she pinned it to the side using the golden rose hairpiece.

"Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous," the proud mother smiled, hugging her daughter.

"Thanks, mom. They helped me a lot," she returned the smile, motioning to the mass of teenage girls behind her.

"It wasn't that much work, really. She's already very pretty," Penelope remarked, seeming absolutely guiltless.

"Yes she is," Connie grinned affectionately, squeezing Sonny's shoulder gently.

"Alright, alright. Enough," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "James will be here soon and I have to finish getting ready."

As she headed back into the bedroom and the other girls scattered, Zora and Audrey glanced at each other tensely, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. _"Of course Penelope's playing the nice girl angle."_

Hearing the doorbell ring, Sonny shouted, "Can someone get that, please?"

"Got it," the two girls yelled in response, heading towards the front of the apartment complex.

"I still think you shouldn't go," Tawni rolled her eyes. "He's a jerk."

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Tawni," she replied, tossing her phone into her purse lying on the bed.

"Fine. Don't come crying to me when he dumps you again," the blonde shrugged, sitting down and flipping through a magazine.

"We're not even dating!" Sonny restated for the twentieth time. "We're not even really friends."

"Whatever," Tawni shot back, not bothering to look up from her magazine.

In the front hall, Zora and Audrey pulled the door open and were greeted by the tall brunet who was wearing a white button-down shirt and black tie, holding a grey dress jacket.

Smiling, he addressed them politely, "Hello Zora, Audrey."

"James," Audrey nodded curtly as Zora folded her arms, saying, "Conroy."

Glancing around apprehensively, he began to state, "Uh, I'm here for—"

"Sonny. We know," the blonde finished, refusing to move from her spot on the floor.

"Girls, stop terrorizing the poor boy," Connie called as she entered the room, moving towards them.

"Hello, Ms. Munroe. It's a pleasure to meet you," he grinned charmingly, extending his hand towards her in the space between the girls' heads.

"Hello, James. Sonny has always wanted to see a Broadway musical. She couldn't stop talking about it all week," the mother disclosed with a warm smile as she shook his hand.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something more, the brunette came into view in the back of the room, taking her new pair of heels out of their box.

Seeing James gaping subtly, Connie assumed her daughter had arrived. "Well, I guess I'll just go now. It was nice meeting you!" she shouted as she exited towards the living room.

Reaching the doorway, Sonny smiled welcomingly as she greeted him. "Hello, James."

"Hello, Sonny," he responded slowly as he snapped out of his daze. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded, stepping into her shoes and fastening the straps.

The two young girls parted to let their friend through, glaring at James once her back was to them.

Holding out his arm for her, James let Sonny lead the way as he caught a glimpse of the two girls looking worriedly at each other as they shut the door.

Inside the apartment complex, the blonde haired prima donna and the boy with bright blue eyes peered around the corner of the living room.

"Should we go now?" Chad suggested, glancing at his cell phone clock.

Nodding as she checked hers as well, she replied, "Yeah. Skyler and Darren are going to meet us there, right?"

"Mhm. I'll text him once we get close to the theatre."

As the pair strutted over to the door, Tawni remembered, "Shouldn't we tell someone we're leaving?"

Spinning around, Chad yelled, _"Hey, we're leaving now!"_

"_No one cares!"_ Nico retorted from his beanbag chair.

Raising an eyebrow at the blonde, he held the door open for her and followed her to the lobby.

* * *

><p>In the back booth a small bakery in downtown New York City sat the always charming Skyler DeVane who was accompanied by equally as charming Darren Criss. Together, the two were laughing over their cups of coffee as they picked at the remainder their food.<p>

"So, he really hid in a wardrobe closet for the entire day?" the older boy chuckled in disbelief.

"Yep! If it was anyone else other than Rider Kingston attempting to flirt with him, I'm pretty sure Chad could have filed for assault," his companion grinned.

"What made Portlyn dare him to do that?"

"Who knows? We generally don't try to get into the mindset of Portlyn Maddison. It's a dangerously scary open place," Skyler joked, taking another sip of his coffee.

Nodding knowingly, Darren related, "Ahh, I remember this one time Chris and I were in character during this interview along with Heather—"

He was interrupted by the vibration of the dark green phone on the beige table, signaling that he had a new message.

"I'm sorry about that," Skyler apologized, lifting his cell phone from the table to read the message.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured his friend, sipping his coffee.

"Oh, Chad says that he and Tawni are a few blocks away from the theatre. We should get going too," the green-eyed boy advised as he stuffed his phone into the pocket of his jacket.

"Sure, let's go!" Darren replied enthusiastically as he stood up from his seat.

As the boys took what was left of their dinner to the trash, they pushed the doors to the bakery open and headed down the street into the bitter cold.

"Lucky that we found a bakery just a few blocks away from the theatre," Skyler murmured through the wind as he pulled his scarf up around his mouth.

As soon as they had made it to the first intersection, the couple was swarmed by reporters and photographers, shouting over each other and gusts of winter air.

"_That duet last night on Condor TV has said to be as controversial as the original scene from Glee. Any opinions?"_

"_Where are you two headed off to this evening? Have anything fun planned?"_

"_Your fans and all of Hollywood are asking the same question: Are you two in fact dating?"_

Keeping his eyes forward and ignoring their questions, Skyler felt Darren take his hand, leading him forward as the crosswalk light changed to green. For the next four blocks, the duo was pursued by the nosy interviewers.

By the time they reached the entrance of Majestic Theater, Chad and Tawni were just stepping out of their limo. Noticing the two other teen stars, the paparazzi began hounding them with similar questions.

Wordlessly, the group of four headed inside the theatre. Glancing back to see security handling the wild journalists outside the building, Skyler breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad that's over," he exhaled, relaxing his shoulders and the releasing grip he had on Darren's hand.

"Hey, who said you could let go?" the shorter boy smiled teasingly.

Taking his hand again, Tawni rolled her eyes and directed, "We've got to go in and find them _now_."

"Right," the three boys nodded, trailing behind her to the theatre doors.

Once they had their tickets validated, Darren whispered, "I think I see the back of James' head over there."

"Where?" Tawni hissed softly.

"Oh, I see him! Follow us," Skyler replied, leading the way.

"Where should we sit?" the blue eyed boy whispered urgently.

"Uh… up there," the blonde pointed to the front row of seats in the balcony just above the targets.

Hurrying along, they managed to snatch up the last four open seats in the front row of the balcony, in the perfect position to spy on the brunette Random and her "non-date."

Settling in, each removed his or her thick winter jacket and draped it over the back of the chair he or she was occupying, observing the subjects below.

Back at the apartment, a mob consisting of teens and young adults was being ushered out the door by the two chaperones.

Logan trailed behind the rest of the group, asking in confirmation, "Are you guys sure you don't want to come bowling with us?"

Barely looking up from his book, Chase nodded from the couch, "You go ahead. I'm not much of a bowler."

"And I'm just not in the mood," Rider shrugged, sprawled out on the couch opposite from Chase.

"Wearing filthy, disgusting shoes other people have worn while using filthy, disgusting bowling balls in a filthy, disgusting bowling alley?" Penelope grimaced.

"Pass," she and Portlyn chorused.

"Suit yourself," Luke shrugged, leading Logan out of the room and down the hall with the others.

* * *

><p>Once the limo full of tourists arrived at the bowling alley and everyone who was bowling rented shoes, they broke off into two groups of six.<p>

In Lane 8 were Nico, Grady, Damien, Matthew, Shayne, and Connie. In Lane 7 were Audrey, Zora, Luke, Logan, Cassie, and Caleigh. Hannah had agreed to sit out, considering she hadn't really come to bowl, but rather to get out of the apartment after a week of being confined.

As the games began, Nico had bowled a seven with his first ball and a gutter-ball with the second. The rest of his group didn't fare much better, with the exception of Shayne and Connie. On his very first roll, Shayne hit a strike.

"Oh, so _that's_ how it's gonna be," Nico raised an eyebrow mockingly.

As the boys laughed, Connie stepped up to the lane. Observing carefully, they watched as her ball rotated down the lane, earning a nine. With the second shot, she managed to hit the very last pin, receiving a spare as her first score.

"Whoa! Nice going, Ms. Munroe!" Matthew nodded, impressed by her bowling skills.

"Please, I told you all that you can call me Connie," she smiled as she strolled back towards her seat at the table.

Over at Lane 7, things were going fairly well for them. Audrey, Zora, and Cassie were all averaging about the same score as was Luke. For Luke's first time bowling, he was doing a fine job in all of their opinions. Logan had the highest average, but only by a few points. Caleigh was having trouble, but each of the older players decided to take turns guiding her shots, so she was only trailing behind by several points.

After her first roll, Caleigh jumped up and down happily at her score of six. "Yay! I got a six because that's how old I am!" she exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh due to her infectious enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, things were quiet. In the living room, Rider had a chance to try out the gaming systems for a while. He kept the volume at a tolerable level so that his friend, who was lying with his back flat on the floor and holding his book above his head, would not be irritated with him. The two girls had shut themselves in their room to have a sappy movie marathon. Or at least that was the excuse they had told the boys.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Portlyn chirped, flouncing across the room to pick up a stack of DVD's from the table next to the TV.

"Portlyn," Penelope rolled her eyes as she shut their door.

"There's _A Walk To Remember_, _My Sister's Keeper_,_ Charlie St. Cloud_—"

"Portlyn," she repeated with more force.

"Or we could always just see what's on TV," the brunette shrugged, reaching for the remote.

"_Portlyn Maddison, stop talking for two seconds and just listen,"_ Penelope nearly yelled.

Once the other girl was silenced, Penelope began, "Remember when I told you about my plan involving James so I could date Chad?"

"Yeah? What about it?" the other girl inquired, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, the plan is going well. That's why she's not here right now. I just thought you'd want to know," the devious brunette smiled.

"I thought she was with James Conroy going to see that musical… What was it called again? 'Ghost of the Theater' or something?"

"It's _Phantom of the Opera. _And yes, that's part of the plan," her friend rolled her eyes.

"Oh. That's cool, I guess," the brunette airhead shrugged, only half comprehending the situation. "Now, what movie do you want to watch?"

She sighed and replied, "_A Walk To Remember_."

As her friend cheerfully inserted the movie into the DVD player, Penelope sprawled out on her bed and sighed under her breath.

In the living room, Chase had nodded off in the middle of reading his book, which was now on the floor next to the couch. Putting the game on pause, Rider sneakily crept over to the kitchen, opening one of the containers of cookies, which Sonny had specifically said to leave alone.

Just as he reached inside to pull one out, Chase said, "Don't you dare take one of those cookies, Kingston."

"How did you—"

"When the obnoxious background music for your game suddenly ceased, I woke up and assumed you'd left. Then I heard your footsteps in the kitchen," Chase explained, still lying on the couch with his eyes closed. "Now, if you want to eat one of those cookies without being mauled, you'll bring me one as well."

"You're so bossy, Alteau. Gosh," Rider grumbled teasingly, taking two cookies from the container.

By the time he had walked into the living room, Chase had picked up his book and held it up above his face to read.

"One Double-Amazing-Chocolate-Delight cookie for Chase Archimedes Alteau," he announced, handing Chase his cookie.

"Thank you, Rider Ian Kingston," he rolled his eyes, placing the cookie between his teeth as he turned to the next page of his book.

Leaning down, Rider gingerly took a bite out of Chase's cookie, smirking as he left the other boy glaring scathingly.

"Screw you, Kingston," he griped, setting down his book and holding what was left of his cookie.

Taking a bite out of his own cookie, the other boy replied with a smirk, "You wish."

After the green-gray eyed actor had returned to his game, the Chase bit into remainder of his cookie and muttered softly to himself before hiding his rapidly reddening face in his book once more.

* * *

><p>From the balcony of Broadway's Majestic Theater, the three-name blond had barely paid attention to the whole first act. He was too preoccupied with observing the two subjects of the operation below.<p>

Glancing across the row, he noted the look of contentment and bliss on his best friend's face, obviously a direct result of the ideal date with the perfect person. Smiling faintly, Chad looked back to the stage and heard the blond diva sigh wistfully as the music transitioned to a soft, lullaby-like melody.

Onstage, the scenery depicted a frosty rooftop with fluffy, white snow floating down gracefully. As the brunette actress portraying Christine Daaé looked out into the crowd, as if she was overlooking a brightly lit city, the blond actor playing Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny approached her from behind.

"_No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you,"_ he sang in a gentle tone as he stood alongside her.

_Let me be your freedom_

_Let daylight dry your tears_

_I'm here, with you, beside you_

_To guard you and to guide you_

Turning her head to meet his gaze, Christine replied, _"Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you, now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you…"_

From her seat, Sonny smiled softly, nearly hypnotized by the pair. She was so absorbed in the scene that she didn't even notice James had placed his arm around her shoulders.

_Let me be your shelter._

_Let me be your light._

_You're safe, no one will find you._

_Your fears are far behind you._

The couple elegantly shifted across the stage hand in hand as they exchanged their words.

_All I want is freedom,_

_A world with no more night._

_And you, always beside me,_

_To hold me and to hide me._

From the balcony, the two boys on the end of the row had intertwined their fingers and they smiled fondly, looking into the other's eyes.

_Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime._

_Let me lead you from your solitude._

_Say you'll need me with you here, beside you._

_Anywhere you go, let me go too._

_Christine, that's all I ask of you._

As Raoul wrapped his arms around Christine, Tawni sighed dreamily when she detected the Phantom lurking behind one of the statues, causing Chad to silently roll his eyes and peek down at the two chestnut haired teens.

_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime._

_Say the word and I will follow you._

_Share each day with me, each night, each morning._

He observed as the boy reached for Sonny's hand, just as she withdrew it from the armrest. The blond just about laughed out loud, but refrained from doing so.

"_Say you love me," _Christine sang just as Raoul replied with, _"You know I do."_

_Love me, that's all I ask of you._

The couple on the stage shared a beautifully passionate kiss as the short musical interlude began. Sonny smiled and blushed deeply at the fleeting thought of herself and a certain blond actor. After a few moments, she tore her eyes from the stage to check the time on the wristwatch her mother had lent her. Suddenly, she felt James' arm around her shoulders and subtly straightened up in her seat as she looked back to the stage, causing him to remove his arm from her chair.

_Anywhere you go, let me go too._

_Love me, that's all I ask of you._

As the scene transitioned, the mood between James and Sonny did as well. Thanks to the air of uneasiness, the time between the song "All I Ask of You" and the end of the first act flew by.

During intermission, James turned to Sonny, holding his cell phone and saying, "I'll be back in just a sec. I have to return this call."

"Okay, go ahead," she nodded, pulling out her own phone.

Once he had left, she sent a quick text and settled into her seat once again.

On the second level of the theatre, the Tawni's phone vibrated obnoxiously in her purse on the floor causing her friends to look at her.

"Ugh, sorry," she muttered, sending the green and hazel eyed boys back to their discussion about the musical so far.

Rolling her eyes, she picked it up and read, _"Hey, Tawni. You told me to text you during intermission…?"_

In a matter of seconds, she typed her reply back.

"_Oh, yeah! How's everything going with you and James?"_

"Is that Sonny? What are you saying to her?" Chad demanded when he saw the blonde speed texting.

"Yes, it's Sonny. I asked her how things are going with James," she answered, rolling her eyes as a new message appeared in her inbox.

"_It's alright, I guess... Really kinda sorta intensely awkward…"_

"Hah, Conroy's screwing up. That's good to hear," the blond smirked as Tawni showed him the text.

"Yeah, but if you don't do anything soon, he'll still win her over," she pointed out.

"_Time is running out,"_ his conscience restated.

Sighing, he replied to both, "I know."

Out in the lobby, James was leaning against the wall, holding his phone to his ear.

After about three rings, he heard the female's voice say, "Hey. How's it going?"

"Well, I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Yeah, yeah. But your date's going well?"

"I guess so. It's not really a date. I put my arm around her shoulder and she sort of shrugged it off," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Ugh. You better not mess this up for us. If this doesn't work out, she'll never want to go out with you," the brunette on the other end of the line reminded him.

"I know, Penelope. I'll be careful."

"Good. Now get back in there," she ordered before hanging up the phone.

Sighing, he proceeded to drop his phone into his pocket and return to his seat wordlessly.

"I'm back," he announced as he sat down once again.

"Everything alright?" Sonny asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," he nodded, rubbing the back of his head, trying to clear his mind.

Before she could question him any longer, the lights dimmed and music flowed through the air once more.

* * *

><p>About an hour and a half later, the performance came to an end. Everyone in the audience applauded loudly and smiled as the cast took their final bows.<p>

"Okay guys, we've got to get out of here before they see us," Chad declared in an urgent tone.

"Yeah, let's go," Tawni nodded, following behind him.

"Actually, you two go ahead," Skyler offered. "I think Darren and I are going to hang out for a little while longer. I'll see you guys back at the apartment."

Nodding, Chad replied, "Alright. See you later."

Once the main operatives of the mission had departed, Darren held out his hand toward Skyler, who complied gladly. As the two boys gradually made their way to the doors, following behind the large crowd of theatre-goers, Darren paused.

Looking around, he whispered, "Hey, uh. Just wait a sec."

"Hmm?" he murmured, glancing down from the balcony.

Down below, the floor was empty of the majority of the audience, whereas the lobby was filled.

"Let's go this way," the shorter actor motioned, leading the taller one towards a door labeled, _"Authorized personnel only."_

Raising an eyebrow, Skyler quietly followed along, wondering where Darren was taking him. At the bottom of the stairs was a long hallway lined with rooms. Each door was decorated with a little plaque in the shape of a star containing the name of the actor or actress whose dressing room it was. The green eyed boy smiled faintly as he recognized some of the names. After a few turns, the pair arrived at a heavy black door.

Looking up at him, Darren grinned, "Are you ready for this?"

When Skyler nodded, he instructed, "Close your eyes."

As he did so, he felt the other boy's hand resting on his shoulder, guiding him through the door.

Once they were standing in the center of the room, the shorter actor told him, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Instantly, Skyler's green eyes were filled with light, which was beaming down from the ceiling. Gawking at where he was standing, he scanned his surroundings disbelievingly. He had finally been given the chance to stand on a real Broadway stage.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Darren smiled, his hazel eyes bright with excitement.

"Indescribably," Skyler grinned, spinning around several times and moving across the nearly empty stage to take in everything he could see. "Are you sure it's alright for us to be here?"

Nodding, the older of the two reassured, "Yeah. I arranged everything earlier."

"What do you mean by 'everything'?"

Darren grinned at him and motioned to someone on the side of the stage.

As the lights dimmed slightly, a soft guitar accompaniment emanated from the speakers.

Walking slowly towards his companion, Darren sang, "_Don't know much about your life. Don't know much about your world, but… Don't want to be alone tonight on this planet they call Earth."_

Smiling softly, Skyler met him halfway and joined in with, _"You don't know about my past and I don't have a future figured out. And maybe this is going too fast. And maybe it's not meant to last…"_

Holding out his hand, Darren looked into the other boy's eyes, captivating him while being captivated _by_ him.

_But what do you say to taking chances,_

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

Grinning as Skyler's face reddened, Darren let his emotions flow through his voice.

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below,_

_Or hand to hold, or hell to pay._

_What do you say?_

_What do you say?_

Breaking their gaze, Skyler strode towards the left wing, his face flushing a light shade of red, and Darren followed suit, heading to the right wing.

_I just want to start again_

_And maybe you could show me how to try._

_And maybe you could take me in,_

_Somewhere underneath your skin._

As he headed back towards center stage, Darren had his eyes fixated on Skyler with a sincere and kind look on his face.

_What do you say to taking chances,_

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

Letting the other boy take his hand, Skyler smiled weakly and bit his lip. He was feeling a bit hesitant about the whole situation.

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below_

_Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,_

_What do you say,_

_What do you say?_

At the end of the chorus, he let go and turned around, looking down at his feet and singing, _"And I had my heart beaten down, but I always come back for more, yeah."_

Approaching him slowly, Darren softly sang, _"There's nothing like love to pull you up, when you're lying down on the floor there."_

He walked around to face Skyler, just as he turned his head away. The shorter musician caught him by the chin and turned him back to look into his eyes.

_So talk to me, talk to me,_

_Like lovers do._

Skyler's green eyes flickered happily as Darren goofily danced in place for him.

_Yeah, walk with me, walk with me,_

_Like lovers do._

_Like lovers do._

Quickly traversing back across the stage, trailing after Skyler, Darren didn't give up hope.

_What do you say to taking chances,_

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

Smiling to himself, Skyler chuckled softly as Darren pounced on his shoulder. Taking his hands, he let the hazel eyed singer lead him back to center stage.

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below_

_Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,_

Gazing genuinely into his eyes and meaning every word, Darren asked, _"What do you say?"_

"_What do you say?"_ Skyler repeated softly.

_Don't know much about your life._

_Don't know much about your world…_

When the music came to an end, all that could be heard was the sound of their breaths.

Once he had caught his breath, Darren looked up at Skyler with his puppy dog eyes, "Over the past week, I realized that I've never felt anything like the way I do when I'm with you. And I haven't asked officially, so… Skyler DeVane… Will you take a chance with me?"

A small smile formed on Skyler's lips as he answered, "Only if you'll hold my hand when we jump off the edge."

"I will," Darren nodded seriously and smiling affectionately.

"Then, yes," Skyler grinned in return.

As one tilted his head up, the other leaned down, and their lips met in a sweet and sincere kiss to seal their deal.

* * *

><p>"Phew, we made it back before them," Chad whistled as he stepped out of the elevator.<p>

"Just barely. They should be here in less than ten minutes," Tawni pointed out, hanging up her furry white coat.

"Hello to you too," Chase shouted sarcastically.

"Shut up, Alteau," the blond shot back, heading to the room that they and the other Mack Falls boys shared.

"I assume things are not looking up then?" the dark brunet inferred.

"Not really any worse, but not much better either," the blonde diva shrugged.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, sitting up and lowering his reading material.

Pausing when she reached the couch, she glanced down the hallway to see if a certain scheming brunette was approaching before replying, "She doesn't seem interested in Conroy, which is good. Mr. Arrogant over there is just being negative."

"Ah. Well, he'd better make some sort of advancement soon. We're all sick of hearing him whine about her," he rolled his eyes.

"I second that," the green-gray eyed actor piped up from the adjoining room. "It's almost as unbearable as the time when—"

"_Bring that up again, Kingston, and I will slaughter you,"_ Chad bellowed through the door.

Looking quizzically at the boy closest to where she stood, Tawni arched an eyebrow confusedly.

Shrugging and waving off the older boy's unfinished comment, Chase rose from his seat on the couch and entered the kitchen to concoct a cup of hot chocolate.

Standing alone in the living room, she remembered that the pair would be returning any minute and quickly sped down the hall, slipping into the bedroom she and the other girls shared.

In the lobby, James smiled warmly down at Sonny and chuckled softly as they waited for the elevator.

"You are unlike anyone I've ever met, Sonny."

Nodding, she answered with a faint smile, "I've been getting that a lot lately... Now, the question is, is that good or bad?"

"I don't know about everyone else, but to me it's a wonderful thing," he replied seriously.

She laughed lightly, stepping inside the elevator once the doors opened.

Turning to face him after swiping her key card, she began her farewell, "I had a great time at the musical tonight, James. Thank you so much."

"No problem," he nodded and smiled knowingly. "We should do this again sometime."

"We'll see," she responded with a small smile.

Once the doors opened again, both entered the apartment. Just as she was about to announce to her friends that they were back, James softly whispered, "Wait, Sonny…"

She glanced up at him, her brown eyes glistening softly and her lips parted slightly as she began to ask him what was wrong, when he leaned down and kissed her gently. Taken by surprise, she stood motionless, not quite sure how to react.

After a few short moments, he broke the kiss, feeling just as speechless as she was. Examining her expression, he noted that she looked more shocked than anything.

Before she could verbalize once more, he turned away and murmured something inaudibly to himself as he reentered the elevator and descended.

After he had departed, Sonny hung up her coat and slipped out of her heels before slowly striding towards the kitchen to sit down.

As she entered the kitchen, Chase glanced up and quietly greeted her with, "Oh. Hello, Sonny."

"Hi, Chase," she nodded, acknowledging his presence as she made herself a cup of hot chocolate.

"How was _Phantom_?" he asked, taking a sip from his own mug.

"It was great," she smiled softly. "I loved everything about it."

"While that may be so, you seem a little… shaken up about something."

"Hmm… What? Oh, it's nothing," she mumbled as she took a seat across from him at the table.

"I may not be much help to you about whatever it is that's on your mind, but I'm willing to listen if you want," he shrugged, watching as she kept her head and eyes low to avoid his gaze.

Sighing softly, she looked to Chase and admitted as she took a sip of her hot chocolate, "The musical was great, but being around James was so awkward. Tonight was part of James'… trial, I guess. I said I'd give him one week to change my mind about giving him a second chance."

"And…?"

"He was on his best behavior all week. At the ice skating rink, Empire State Building, just walking around the city… I don't know why tonight was any different," she wondered, her eyes flickering to the direction of the elevator.

"Well, the whole theme of the musical you went to see is true love, isn't it? He may have carried over some emotions from it. Whatever happened might not have meant anything at all," Chase shrugged.

Pushing her mug towards the center of the table, she rested her arms on the edge and blurted, "He kissed me," before burying her face in her arms.

Swallowing a gulp of his warm beverage, he replied, "Oh… I see…"

"What do I do?" she mumbled, her voice muffled.

"Like I said before, I might not exactly be the most helpful person to discuss this with. Maybe talk to Blondie?"

Lifting her head and sitting upright, she brushed the hair away from her face and asked, "You mean Tawni?"

Nodding, he answered, "Yeah. I apologize for not being of any assistance. Relationships aren't exactly my forte."

"All the same, thank you for listening, Chase," she smiled softly, standing up from the table. "I think I'll go talk to Tawni right now."

"No problem," he replied, standing his book on the table, searching for the place where he left off.

Picking up her mug and purse, she slowly headed to her room to converse with Tawni. Passing by the boys' room, she heard Darren's voice coming through stereo speakers, singing, _"Why can't you see what you're doing to me?"_ Hastening her pace, she arrived at her door and nudged it open with her elbow.

Once he had heard the door click shut, Chase stood up from the table and headed for the boys' room. As he passed through the game room on his way, he softly announced, "Code red." Immediately, Rider paused his game and leapt up from the floor, following behind.

Entering their room, the two boys closed the door behind them and stood by the bed Chad was sprawled out on.

"Dude, get up. We're in code red according to Mr. Know-It-All," Rider prompted, prodding him to sit up.

"Why, what happened?" the blond asked, turning down the music with a small black remote on the bedside table.

"Sonny just informed me that Conroy kissed her," Chase stated bluntly.

The words sliced through every hopeful thought in his head.

When he didn't show any signs of response, Chase continued, "She seems very… conflicted. If you're going to make a move, it _has_ to be tomorrow. New Year's Day ends James' trial with Sonny. She's making her decision tomorrow night. Your time is almost up."

"What do I do?" the blue eyed boy asked.

"At this point, I think the only thing you _can_ do is just tell her flat out how you feel about her," Rider shrugged. "But that's just me. You should ask Skyler when he gets back. He might have an idea."

Sighing dramatically, Chad picked up his phone from the table. The other two were about to exit the room when he, he groaned, "Oh, we're dead."

"What is it now?" Chase asked, turning around.

Just as the two older actors approached him again, the door swung open and in came Tawni.

"Code red," she stated, throwing the door shut.

"Thanks for the news flash, Blondie, but you're late," Rider commented sarcastically.

"Oh really? Have you seen the new Tween Weekly article?" she retorted.

"I was just about to show them," Chad answered. "Look. 'As the new year approaches, it seems as though so does new romances have been forming as well. Earlier this week, we've spotted _So Random's_ Sonny Munroe out and about in New York City with _Mackenzie Falls'_ guest star, James Conroy. The pair was seen at various places in NYC over the past few days. Tonight, we caught them on their secretive outing as they headed in to Broadway's Majestic Theater to see _Phantom of the Opera_.'"

As he paused to take a breath, Tawni picked up the rest, "'But that's not all the news we have for you! Arriving shortly after them were _Mackenzie Falls'_ Chad Dylan Cooper and _So Random's_ Tawni Hart! Could there be spark between these two starlets?' Oh, ew! They think I'm dating Cooper!"

Rolling his eyes, Rider continued reciting, "'Also with them were Skyler DeVane of _Mackenzie Falls_ and _Glee's_ Darren Criss. The couple appeared to be very close. In a few of the pictures below, you can see Darren leading Skyler by the hand into the theater. Do you suppose there's something going on with them as well? What better reason to go see one of Broadway's most romantic musicals?'"

"Where did you find this article?" Chase inquired, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose.

"Tween Weekly's twitter. Posted about a half hour ago," Tawni replied.

"If Sonny sees this, we are all screwed," Chad grumbled, tossing his phone onto the other side of the bed.

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Skyler and Darren.

"Hey, have you guys read—" Skyler began.

"Yeah, you're late," Rider interrupted him.

"Oh. Well, what are you gonna do, Chad?" he asked, sitting next to Darren on the opposite bed.

"No idea. I guess, I'll wing it when the time comes," he sighed.

Suddenly, a knock on the door silenced the group.

"I think that time has come," Chase muttered.

"Who is it?" Rider called.

"Sonny. Can I come in?" she replied.

"Yeah," Chad answered, giving Rider a look that said, _"You'd better behave yourself, Kingston."_

After entering the room, she stated, "I'm just gonna get right to the point.

Looking to her best friend, the pair sitting together on the bed, and the boy with cloudy blue eyes, she asked, "Were you four following me?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as none of them could come up with an excuse.

"…Well?"

"Psh, no… Why would we follow you and _James_?" Tawni rolled her eyes nonchalantly.

"I don't know. You tell me," the brunette said as she crossed her arms.

"We weren't following you, we were just… Uh… Just…" the blond sputtered, struggling to fabricate some sort of logical reason.

"I think what he means to say is, we just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Darren suggested as Chad shot him a subtly grateful look.

"Yeah, we know how Conroy can be. We didn't want anything to happen to you," Skyler nodded in agreement.

"Oh… Well, you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. But thank you anyways," she smiled at each before leaving the room, closing the door on her way out.

Everybody simultaneously let out a sigh of relief once she had gone.

"Thanks for covering for me, man," Chad thanked the brunet with hazel eyes.

"No problem," Darren nodded in return.

"So… _Are_ you two dating?" Tawni asked, turning to face Skyler.

Flushing a deep red, the green eyed actor replied, "I could ask you two the same thing!"

"Yes, but you already know the answer to that, so…" Chad pointed out, rolling his eyes and then grinning.

He sighed and rolled his eyes good naturedly, then looked at the boy next to him.

Grinning widely and taking Skyler's hand, Darren announced, "Yes, we are."

Slapping Skyler on the shoulder the way he always did, Rider grinned, "Yeah, DeVane!"

"It's about time. Congratulations to both of you," Chase nodded, smiling faintly.

"Awesome. I approve, Sky," Chad chuckled as he extended his hand in position to perform their secret handshake.

"Oh, it's getting late. I'd better get going," the dark haired musician sighed as he checked the time.

"Oh, alright," his boyfriend nodded, standing up.

As the couple left the room, Tawni followed them out and headed to her room while the other boys began planning what they would do about the whole James situation.

"What are you guys planning to do for New Year's tomorrow night?" the shorter boy asked as they slowly strolled towards the elevator.

"We're going into Times Square to watch the countdown. How about you guys?"

"Oh! We were thinking about doing that too. Maybe we could all meet up for dinner or something. Then after, we can hang out somewhere before heading to see the countdown," Darren suggested as he pressed the elevator button.

"Definitely! Call me on Oovoo tomorrow morning and we'll talk about it," Skyler agreed.

Reaching up to give his boyfriend a hug, Darren whispered, "Perfect."

The green eyed boy kissed him on the top of the head as the elevator arrived.

Pouring out came the rest of the travelers who were returning from the bowling alley, shushing each other as they noticed the two boys still embraced.

Once they had all passed by, Skyler grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Until then," Darren smiled, stepping into the elevator, giving a small wave as the doors closed.

Back in the boys' room Chad had dropped out of the conversation with his friends as they explained the situation to Logan and Luke, who had just arrived back. Rolling over in bed, the blond reached up and skipped to the next song on his playlist. Shutting his eyes, he let himself think about his emotions as the song played.

_See, I can't wake up._

_I'm living a nightmare_

_That keeps playing over again._

With his eyes closed, Chad could picture exactly what had happened earlier that evening. His mind kept replaying a certain moment where James lowered his lips near Sonny's ear and whispered a comment that had made her laugh softly. The image only made Chad wish he would have heard her adorable little giggle instead of James.

_Locked in a room,_

_So hung up on you._

_And you're cool with just being friends._

Somewhere in Mr. Condor's huge New York mansion, a brunet boy was pacing around in his room, reviewing the events from that night. Flopping down on his bed, he sighed, mentally scolding himself for being so impulsive.

_Left on the sidelines._

_Stuck at a red light._

_Waiting for my time._

_And I can't see…_

Both boys lay motionless, pining for the same girl who hadn't the slightest clue about what to do or who to choose.

_Why don't you love me?_

_Touch me,_

_Tell me I'm your everything,_

_The air that you breathe._

In the girls' room, Sonny burrowed under the covers as the other three crowded together on the opposite bed, gushing over the latest gossip in their magazines. Tuning out their voices, she strained to hear the music emanating through the walls of the boys' room.

_And why don't you love me, baby?_

_Open up your heart tonight,_

_'Cause I could be all that you need._

_Why don't you love me?_

_Why don't you love me?_

After a few moments, she realized why the song sounded so familiar. Her best friend in Wisconsin, Lucy, had emailed her a link to it because she thought it was relevant for Sonny's situation. As the voice in her head sang along to the music, she began to realize just how right her friend was.

_See, I'm just too scared_

_To tell you the truth._

_'Cause my heart, it can't take it anymore._

She was too afraid to choose. She knew that if she chose one over the over, it would be the end of a friendship.

_Broken and bruised,_

_Longing for you._

_And I don't know what I'm waiting for._

She had a vague idea of who she wanted to be with, but there was only one problem. Even if she chose him, he wouldn't know. She wouldn't have the courage to tell him why she rejected the other. She wished he would be the one to save her, instead of the one to make things more complicated.

_Left on the sidelines._

_Stuck at a red light._

_Waiting for my time._

_So just tell me…_

Before that evening, Sonny had already made her decision. She was going to give James a second chance, but she would tell him they should start off by being friends again. That was before he threw a wrench into the plan.

_Why don't you love me?_

_Touch me,_

_Tell me I'm your everything,_

_The air that you breathe._

The kiss they shared perplexed her. It wasn't that it was terrible. In fact, it was surprising. She hadn't anticipated it. Or rather, she was hoping she wouldn't _have_ to expect it.

_And why don't you love me, baby?_

_Open up your heart tonight,_

_'Cause I could be all that you need._

The single most confusing aspect about the whole thing was that, in a way, she had _liked_ it. She couldn't remember what it had felt like the last time she had been kissed. It left her wondering how she would feel if she chose one and not the other.

_Why don't you give me a reason?_

_Please tell me the truth._

_You know that I'll keep believing_

_'Til I'm with you._

Each of them rolled over to face their windows and looked out at the sky, making a wish on the North Star.

_Why don't you love me? _

_Kiss me. _

_I can feel your heart tonight._

_It's killing me._

For James, all he wished was for the kiss to not effect Sonny's decision. He had felt confident that he knew what her decision was and he didn't want it to change.

_So why don't you love me?_

_Touch me,_

_Tell me I'm your everything,_

_The air that you breathe._

Chad wished for more time. He was still trying to build up the courage to tell her, but his time was almost up. He was running out of chances.

_And why don't you love me, baby?_

_Open up your heart tonight,_

_'Cause I could be all that you need._

As for Sonny, she asked the universe to help her make her final decision. She was getting tired of all the games that were being played. She just wanted to things to go back to normal.

_Why don't you love me?_

But the universe never works the way we want it to. Much like in the _Wizard of Oz_, in which the wizard only truly granted one wish, only one of the trio's wishes was granted. They would soon find out which one it was.

**A/N: Review, pleaseee?**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: My apologies for posting this so late in the day. I literally just finished this about 5 minutes ago. I think I've only eaten two waffles and a handful of pretzels in the last twelve hours. There will be an epilogue coming at some point. Hopefully by the end of January. I'm not sure because of school and such... ****But, yeah. Here it is!**

_December 31st_

The next morning, almost everyone slept in until at least 10 AM. The first one to rise was Skyler. Rolling out of the warm, cozy bed, he grabbed the Dalton Warblers blazer from Christmas Eve that Darren encouraged him to keep since they had extras back on set. Quietly, he picked up his laptop and crept into the kitchen. He peered out the large windows at the city below, smiling faintly at how picturesque the scene looked.

Setting down his laptop on the kitchen table, he waited for it to start up. Skyler rubbed his arms as he made his way over to the fireplace and pulled back the guard to place a new log inside. After lighting the fire, he pushed the protective gate back into place and returned to the kitchen. Opening up iTunes, he chose his "Relaxation" playlist and turned up the volume just loud enough for him to hear.

Next, he entered the kitchen and pulled out a small bag of coffee grinds and the coffee maker. Just as the coffee had finished dripping into his mug, he heard a new melody interrupting his music. As he picked up his mug and approached the laptop, the words, "Incoming call from Iclmyer" flashed across the screen. Smiling, he accepted the call and paused his music. He took a seat at the table, sipping his coffee, as the program connected him to his companion.

"Buongiorno, il mio bello," the voice on the other end of the line greeted.

Blushing, Skyler ran a hand through his hair and smiled, "Oh, going all Italian, are we? Well, right back at you."

He simply nodded his head and laughed, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah. How about you?" the green eyed boy nodded.

"Same here. I'm excited to see you all again tonight," Darren grinned.

"Oh, yeah! Where should we meet up?" he asked.

"Well, we could all go for dinner somewhere," the hazel eyed singer suggested.

"Sounds good! And if we finish early, you guys can come hang out at our place for a while. We're near Times Square," Skyler grinned.

"Perfect,"he complied with a smile.

Before Skyler could say another word, his blue eyed best friend entered the room.

"Darren?" the blond inquired.

When the dark haired actor nodded, he began to leave.

"Wait, what's up?" Skyler asked, causing him to pause.

Shrugging, he replied, "Nothing important. Just wanted to think out loud with someone."

"About?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Chad," he insisted.

Sighing, the blond poured himself a cup of coffee and sat across from his friend.

"Should I go?" Darren asked. "It's totally fine. We can talk later."

"No, you don't have to, Darren," Chad answered. "I just didn't want to interrupt you two."

"Oh, it's alright. Go ahead,"the dark brunet reassured as his boyfriend slid his laptop to the center of the table.

"I just… I don't understand why Sonny would go on another date with Conroy after what he did to her," the blue eyed boy stated softly to his coffee mug.

"I'm sorry, I'm not quite caught up to speed. What did he do last time?"the professional musician questioned.

"Conroy took Sonny out on a date and dumped her for her best friend. And then vice versa," Skyler rolled his eyes in disgust.

"He's such a weasel,"he muttered. "Sorry, continue."

"Well, I don't think she considered seeing _Phantom_ with him a _date_. I think it was more of a… trial date sort of thing," the older actor nodded.

"Yeah! Like, if he behaved himself, she would give him a second chance or something," Darren added.

"I guess, so…" he sighed, pushing his coffee mug in. Burying his face in his arms, he mumbled, "Mmph. Why do girls have to be so complicated? And she, of all girls, is especially confusing."

"That's just the way it is," Skyler shrugged. "Glad I'm over my denial phase," he noted with a small smile, looking at his boyfriend smiling back at him.

"Shut up, Sky," he grumbled.

"Alright, alright. I guess all you can really do at this point is be nice and listen to what she has to say."

"I tried that the other day…" he started, lifting his head.

"And how did that go for you?" the oldest boy asked.

"Well, I kissed her on the cheek and she didn't react…"

"No reaction is better than a bad one," he pointed out.

"So, that happened and it didn't occur to you to continuing acting the same way around her?" the theater enthusiast quirked an eyebrow as he sipped his coffee.

"I'm used to hiding that side of me around her, I guess… It's become an automatic thing for me."

"Well, you'd better start working on that," he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"What should he start working on?" the groggy brunette girl asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh, just lines for our next episode. Our director just emailed us a revised script," Chad lied flawlessly.

"You have to memorize lines over hiatus? That doesn't seem fair," she frowned, sitting down next to Skyler as he got up to pour her a mug of warm coffee.

Shrugging, the blond replied, "That's the price of being on a real TV show."

"Real? So Random's real too, y'know," she rolled her eyes, thanking her friend for the drink.

After Skyler shot him the _"Be nice!"_ look, he murmured, "Sorry, force of habit."

"Hi, Sonny!"the chipper actor greeted her through the computer.

"Oh! Hey, Darren!" she smiled, giving a small wave. "What's up?"

"Sky and I were just making plans for all of us to meet up later tonight for dinner," he told her with a huge grin.

"Mhm. And if we finish eating early, everyone can come back here and hang out before we go out into Times Square for the countdown," Skyler included.

"Sounds great! Where should we have dinner?" Sonny inquired.

As the committee of four made plans for the evening, little by little, the rest of their friends awoke.

* * *

><p>Just after she had finished eating breakfast, Cassie's phone began to ring.<p>

"_I like the way you sound in the morning. We're on the phone and without a warning I realize your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard…"_

"Oh, I love that song!" Sonny grinned as the blonde answered her phone, slipping away from the main group and hiding in her room.

"Hey, Cassie," came the male's voice through the phone.

Hearing the smile in his voice, she greeted, "Oh! Hey, Demetri. What's up?"

"Do you guys have plans tonight?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"I think we're planning on going out to dinner and then into Times Square for the countdown."

"Oh? My dad and uncle are planning on taking me and my sisters to do the same. They said I could bring a friend if I wanted to…"

"Well, just hold on a sec. Maybe we could meet up for dinner or something. I know we're having dinner with the cast of Glee sometime tonight—Dylan! Hey, can we meet up with Demetri's family for dinner?"

Chandler Carson grinned at his son who was listening intently to his cell phone.

"Is that the girl I saw you with all evening at that the party?" he asked.

The boy nodded, swatting his father away as he waited to hear the girl's response.

Laughing, his father exited the room, leaving his son alone.

"My brother said that your dad or uncle should call Connie or Hannah and have them talk first. He said it should be fine though," Cassie confirmed.

"Okay, I'll do that," Demetri agreed. "I guess I'll probably see you tonight then."

"Sounds good. Either way, text me later," she requested.

"Alright. 'Bye," he replied, hanging up with a small smile.

* * *

><p>"Mm, that was one of the best dinners I've had in my entire life," Grady sighed contently from the back of the group as they made their way down the street.<p>

"Right, man? And making the lobsters talk: genius!" Nico grinned, high-fiving his best friend.

At the front of the group, the Coopers led the way.

"Chaddy, can we play I Spy?" Caleigh begged, tugging on her brother's sleeve.

"Maybe later, kiddo," he replied, pausing at the intersection, waiting for the light to change.

"I'll play!" Rider offered. "I spy something cold."

"Hmm…" Caleigh thought out loud, turning to Kari.

"Is it… The snow?" the blue-green eyed girl asked, looking up at Rider and pointing to the sky.

"Nope!" he shook his head.

"I don't know! What is it?" the 6-year-old Cooper exclaimed.

"Chase's heart," he pointed, earning a slap upside the head.

The little girls giggled as Lexi and Cassie rolled their eyes.

"Don't listen to them. We'll play later, okay?" the eldest Cooper told his sister as they crossed the street.

"Okie dokie," she chirped.

Once they were across the street, Rider picked up a chunk of snow and tossed in Chase's direction. Chase ducked and the snowball passed him, hitting Darren in the shoulder. Skyler stopped midsentence and tossed another snowball back at Rider.

Towards the end of the line, the mischievous Randoms looked at each other and simultaneously shouted, _"Snowball fight!"_ and raced towards the entrance to Central Park.

Glancing at his watch, Darren grinned, "We've got plenty of time."

Instantly his costars ran after the comedians. Following closely behind were the Carsons, Coopers, and drama-snobs.

Splitting up, four teams formed. One team consisted of the Randoms, Lea, Amber, Mark, Cory, Harry, Jenna, and Kevin. Another included the drama-snobs, Darren, Dianna, Chris, Damian, Naya, and Heather. The third was a mix of the Carsons, the Cooper girls, James, Luke, and Rider. The remaining team was made of the adults who preferred to chat amongst themselves and observe the icy fight from a distance rather than participating.

Once the fortresses were constructed, the battle began.

_I woke up in the middle of the night,_

The first snowball flew out of So Random's hideout towards Mackenzie Falls' direction, smacking Chad in the neck.

_Out of luck, with this girl on my mind._

Instinctively, he spun around and threw one back, successfully hitting the perky brunette on the forehead.

_She got away, now I'm trying to explain how._

He automatically laughed at the sight, regretting it almost instantly. Luckily, she laughed along with him.

_I fell in love, that's what I like to call it,_

Wiping the snow off her face, Sonny tossed one back at him, missing and hitting Skyler instead.

_But not enough, it's like I never saw it._

Looking to his boyfriend and his best friend, the three grinned and advanced towards the Random.

_Drifting away, I am finding words to say,_

_But it all goes, "Whoa, whoa."_

Just as they had her cornered, three snowballs were projected through the air, hitting each of them from behind, giving the brunette just enough time to escape.

_But it all goes, "Whoa, whoa."_

From behind the third wall of snow, James, Cassie, and Luke ducked to avoid their targets' retribution.

_What does it take to get you,_

_If I never met you?_

All of a sudden, Dianna, Chris, and Heather charged out from behind the drama-snobs' fort and attacked their friends at the opposing headquarters, to which Cory and Mark returned the favor by kidnapping Damian and Naya.

_I wouldn't have ran across the country like_

_I'm out of my mind._

The invasions continued as Zora and Audrey wildly ran towards Cassie, "accidentally" bumping her into Luke and Demetri in the process.

_What does it take to hold you,_

_When I'm here without you?_

As Sonny and Tawni ran to take refuge behind a tree, James spotted and tailed them. Swooping in, he scooped up the younger girl and hoisted her over his shoulder. While he tried to run off with her, Tawni chased after him, tossing snowballs at his back, hitting Sonny several times unintentionally.

_I don't know where to start._

_I've gotta find you and your heart_

Glancing in their direction, Chad rolled an abnormally large snowball and lobbed it at the back of James' head, making a direct hit.

_Before it falls apart._

Once the brunet had set Sonny down, the blond turned around on his heel and raced towards his sisters, scaring them in the process.

_I stayed up in the dead of the night._

Looking over at Cassie as she punched her brother for startling her, Demetri's own sister, Lexi, jumped onto his back, nearly knocking him down.

_I made plans, if they turn out right._

Giggling, Kari ran in circles around him, kicking up small mounds of snow.

_You'll close your eyes and think about the time when,_

After ambushing Rider with Chase and Skyler, Darren stooped behind the deserted Falls haven to catch his breath.

_When we fell in love, but didn't try to say it._

Joining him, Skyler rested as well, looking him in the eyes and smiling affectionately.

_Knew what it was, the moment that we played it._

All of a sudden, an armload of snow was dumped over them courtesy of Rider Kingston.

_We all lose sometimes, I can't get her off my mind._

_Whoa, whoa._

Watching from a distance, Chase smiled faintly to himself only to have Luke tackling him down, Logan aiding him.

_I'm finding words to say, but it all goes,_

_"Whoa, whoa."_

Escaping from the Randoms' fort were Penelope and Portlyn being hounded by the So Random boys who were launching projectile after projectile.

_What does it take to get you,_

_If I never met you?_

Nearby, Lea and Amber chased after a fleeing Dianna, though Cory and Mark ended up capturing all three in the end.

_I wouldn't have ran across the country like_

_I'm out of my mind._

The three little girls, Caleigh, Kari, and Lexi, crazily pursued Kevin, Harry, and Jenna, attempting to throw their misshapen snowballs at them.

_What does it take to hold you,_

_When I'm here without you?_

Just as soon as Chase had gotten back on his feet, he was knocked over once more, this time, by the green-gray eyed mutant.

_I don't know where to start._

_I've gotta find you and your heart_

The pair tumbled over, the operative looking down into the eyes of his subject.

_Before it falls apart._

Pushing him off, Chase composed himself once more and strode off.

_What does it take to make it real?_

Staring after him, Rider blinked several times before Sonny ran by and smashed a handful of snow onto the top of his head.

_The world still spins and I'm still feeling_

_Your hand right next to mine._

The blond, blue eyed actor observed as his friend jumped to his feet, flying after her as she nearly ran into James, who kept her from stumbling to the ground.

_I play it back a thousand times._

The thing that really got to him about that moment, was the smile she gave him when she looked up to see who had caught her.

_I wish I took a photograph_

_For every moment that we laughed._

It was a smile that was usually reserved for one person.

_I'm hung up and can't relax because_

_She's so far away._

It was the smile that Chad had only seen her give to him.

_What does it take to get you?_

Breaking his train of thought, Skyler jogged by, pitching a handful of snow in his face before returning to Chris and Darren across the battlefield.

_What does it take to get you?_

Before hunting down Skyler, Chad scanned the grounds quickly. He laughed under his breath as Logan hit Luke on the cheek with a snowball, which in turn made Luke pounce onto his back.

_What does it take to get you,_

_If I never met you?_

Right as the blond was about to take revenge on his best friend, Chase and Rider ran past him, dropping half a handful of snow down the back of his coat.

_I wouldn't have ran across the country like_

_I'm out of my mind._

Sonny had seen the whole thing from where she stood, trying to catch her breath, when out of nowhere, Skyler, Chris, and Darren surprise attacked her.

_What does it take to hold you,_

_When I'm here without you?_

Picking her up by her waist and throwing her over his shoulder, Skyler began running around the perimeter of the battlegrounds, Chris and Darren pelting her with tiny snowballs.

_I don't know where to start._

_I've gotta find you and your heart_

The trio didn't get too far before Chad came to the rescue, James tagging along. Once she was back on her feet, Sonny crossed her arms and look at her kidnappers who waved innocently and sprinted away.

_Before it falls apart._

Turning to her rescuers, she smiled and hugged each, kissing them on the cheek before flouncing off to find her best friend.

_I'm finding words to say before it falls apart._

_Before it falls apart._

Both boys stared after her when the two little six year old girls approached them, breaking them out of the daze with snowballs to the face.

The fleeing girls giggled as the peeked over their shoulders at the two boys chasing after them.

For the next half hour, the war continued before everyone decided it was time to head back to the apartment.

* * *

><p>"Dude, that's total bull! I have all the sevens!" Rider grinned deviously at Chase.<p>

"Damn it, Rider! Screw you," Chase exclaimed exasperatedly, coughing as he took the pile of cards.

"Two eights," Mark bluffed as he slid two cards to the center of the circle.

"I think I'm going to call bullshit on that one, man," Cory laughed as Dianna and Lea simultaneously shouted, "BS, Mark! BS."

"Ooh, look at all these cards I have to take now," he grinned sarcastically as he took back his two cards.

Elsewhere in the apartment, the majority of the teens and young adults sat on the floor playing Pictionary.

"What in the world is _that_?" Audrey asked doubling over in laughter.

"Is it a frisbee?" Kevin wondered.

"No, it's clearly a spaceship!" Zora stated.

"It looks like a ball of yarn," the Irish singer suggested.

"…It's a bicycle," Grady answered once their time had run out.

"…Oh," they chorused.

In the princess playroom, the three youngest girls were having a tea party with their magical guests.

"Of course you may have more tea, Harry the Unicorn!" Caleigh chirped, tipping the empty teapot to pour the imaginary beverage for her imaginary friend.

Gasping, Kari shook her finger at the empty chair across the table and scolded, "Where are your manners, Hephaestus the Hippogriff?"

Sighing dramatically, Lexi lay on the floor looking bored.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted their tea party.

"Who is it?" Caleigh called.

"Demetri. Can I come in for a second?"

"Come in!" Kari yelled.

"Hey, girls. Just wanted to let you know that Dakota's coming over. Mom said she got a call from Mr. Condor asking if she could visit you. She told him that you were here, so now he's talking to Ms. Marin. Just wanted to let you know," he informed them.

"Dakota's coming? Yes!" Lexi shot up, pumping her fist in the air.

Laughing, her older brother nodded, "Yeah. She'll be here soon," before closing the door and heading back to the living room.

Down the hall and in the room that the two chaperones shared, Sonny sat on one of the beds, talking with her mother who was reorganizing her luggage.

"So… You and Mr. Carson seemed to be getting along quite well at dinner," the brunette pointed out.

"Chandler? Well, as a matter of fact, yes we were. Now, what are you getting at?" her mother rolled her eyes.

"You _so_ like him," she grinned innocently.

Standing upright and putting a hand on her hip, Connie stated, "It is a _sad_ day when two adults can't enjoy each other's company at a New Year's Eve dinner."

After a short silence, Sonny continued, "But you _so_ like him."

Sighing, Connie sat next to her daughter and admitted, "Maybe just a little."

"I knew it! This is great!" she laughed, hugging her. "And Hannah likes his brother, too. Right? Oh gosh, this is so exciting!"

"Whoa, hold your horses there. Yes, I believe Hannah does seem to like Charles. And as for me and Chandler, we've only really talked for two evenings," the brunette woman reminded her as she returned to packing.

"And that means I can't be excited?"

"It just means… Don't hold your breath," Connie shrugged.

"Oh, mom. I'm sure he likes you too. Or he _will_ if he doesn't already. Just keep talking to him!" the teen advised.

"We'll see… Well, enough about me. What about you? Is there anyone in particular that you have your eye on?" she grinned deviously.

"Mom!" Sonny blushed.

"Hmm? I take it that's a yes?"

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, the brown eyed girl answered, "It's complicated."

"Oh? How so?" her mother inquired, sitting next to her daughter on the bed.

"Well… I kind of like this one guy, but he told me that he likes another girl. And now there's this other guy… And I don't know whether I like _him_ or not," she sighed.

"Ah, well… Neither of them knows that you like him, right? You've got some time to decide," Connie replied reassuringly as she walked across the room to continue her packing.

"Not really," Sonny muttered under her breath as she lay back on the bed.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Skyler and Darren caught each other's eye and nodded in unison.

Standing up next to the fireplace column, the taller boy announced, "Hey, guys. Darren and I are going to surprise Sonny and take her to the Gershwin Theater."

"Oh, like in the NYC episode of Glee?" Cassie piped up.

"Exactly!" Darren nodded, grinning excitedly.

"Well, that explains why you were on the phone with Ryan yesterday! He actually helped you get permission?" Lea smiled.

"Yep! Anyone wanna come with us?" he asked.

"I'll come," the blue eyed blonde smiled.

"I'll go too," Demetri shrugged.

Catching his best friend's eye, Chad answered, "I guess I will."

Penelope, not wanting to pass up a chance to keep Sonny away from Chad, shot James a look that said, _"You'd better go."_

"Yeah, I will," the brunet nodded.

"Great! Be ready in five minutes," the hazel eyed musician concluded. "Oh! And also, Mr. Condor's daughter is coming, so we'd all better keep an eye on her tonight."

"Yeah, he'll annihilate us all if anything happens to her," Matthew nodded.

Turning on his heel, Skyler walked briskly down the hall in search of the perky brunette Random. He paused just after he passed the room with the open door and then backtracked a few steps.

"Sonny?" he asked softly.

Sitting up and running a hand through her hair, she replied, "Oh. Hey, Sky."

"Did you find her yet—Oh! Hiya, Sonn-ay!" Darren grinned as he peered into the doorway.

"Hiya, Darren," she smiled warmly.

"Darr' and I have a surprise for you," the dramatic actor grinned mysteriously.

"What is it?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Meet us at the elevator in five minutes," the shorter actor replied, sounding equally mysterious.

And with that, the boys strolled back down the hall, leaving her sitting on the bed with a confused look on her face.

* * *

><p>"Can I open my eyes yet?" Sonny whined, grasping onto Darren's and Skyler's hands to keep her balance.<p>

"Not yet, Sonny. We're almost there," the green eyed actor grinned, stopping once they were standing in the center of the stage.

"You guys made me keep my eyes closed for half of the ride!"

"Yeah, but if we hadn't, you'd know what the surprise was!" Darren laughed.

With a small smile, she sighed, "You guys are crazy."

"You know it," Skyler agreed, letting go of her hand to run offstage and lift the curtain.

"And don't you forget it," his boyfriend reminded her.

Laughing under her breath, the brunette opened her mouth to ask once more when Skyler shouted from the wings as he began to raise the curtain, _"Yes, Sonny. You can open your eyes now."_

Opening her eyes, she watched the think velvet red curtain rise, letting light flood the stage.

"Oh… My… _Gosh!_" she exclaimed, laughing excitedly.

Joining Darren back on the stage as Sonny turned around to take in her surroundings, Skyler smiled, "We thought you might like to see what it's like to be on a real Broadway stage before going back to California."

"You guys are the best," she cried, tackle-hugging each of them tightly.

"Well, the stage is yours, Miss Munroe," Darren mock bowed. "What would you like to sing?"

"Oh! Well, uh… Since this appears to be the Gershwin Theater…" she began, glancing around.

"Right you are," Skyler nodded proudly.

"Something from Wicked… Oh, I know one," she decided.

After she whispered her song selection, the boys rushed off to the wings and started up the music.

Recognizing the song, the lighting crew up in the booth changed the settings until one single spotlight shone down on the brunette.

Sitting front and center were Demetri, Cassie, Chad, and James, eagerly waiting to hear her sing.

"Oh," Cassie whispered almost inaudibly. "I love this one."

Glancing over at her, Demetri rested his arm next to hers and the returned his attention to the stage.

_Hands touch, eyes meet._

_Sudden silence, sudden heat._

Immediately, the brunette remembered the very first encounter she had with the arrogant blond. She was instantly starstruck by him.

_Hearts leap in a giddy whirl._

Of course, he hadn't the slightest idea who she was at first, but that didn't stop her from falling for him.

_He could be that boy,_

_But I'm not that girl._

As Sonny sang those lines, her gaze unnoticeably flickered to him and then back to the empty seats around her friends.

_Don't dream too far._

_Don't lose sight of who you are._

The first time she had gone out with James, they had hit it off pretty well. She thought that their relationship might actually go somewhere. That is, until he dumped her for Tawni.

_Don't remember that rush of joy._

But that one date brought her a kind of happiness that she had not had for a long time. Now, after he had kissed her, she felt even more confused.

_He could be that boy._

_I'm not that girl._

Glancing quickly at the blue eyed actor next to him, James wondered what he was thinking as he watched Sonny up on the stage.

_Every so often we long to steal_

_To the land of what-might-have-been._

Was this song causing him to fall even harder for her? Was he formulating a plan to win her affections?

_But that doesn't soften the ache we feel_

_When reality sets back in._

Was he wondering what it would be like to lose a girl that never even belonged to him?

_Blithe smile, lithe limb_

_She who's winsome, she wins him._

Inwardly sighing, Sonny wondered who that Samantha girl was.

_Gold hair with a gentle curl,_

_That's the girl he chose_…

She had seemed pretty nice when they had met, but Sonny wondered why she had made such a huge impression on Chad in just one night.

_And Heaven knows_

_I'm not that girl_

"Her voice is so amazing," Cassie murmured softly.

"Yeah…" her brother concurred, speaking just loud enough for them to hear.

The brunet fixed his gaze on the beautiful girl with a solemn look on her face as she continued singing the somber song.

_Don't wish, don't start._

_Wishing only wounds the heart._

Letting her hair cover her face for a moment, Sonny held back her song-atmosphere induced tears and took a deep breath.

_I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl._

Lifting her head, she looked out at the empty seats, singing the very last notes to the imaginary crowd.

_There's a girl I know…_

_He loves her so…_

_I'm not that girl..._

As the song concluded, the four members in the audience and the two backstage all applauded for her.

Walking back out onto the stage, Skyler was the first to give her a great big hug.

"That was amazing, Sonny," he smiled sincerely.

"Absolutely breathtaking," Darren nodded, holding his arms out for her.

"Thanks, guys," she grinned, hugging him.

"Would you mind if I shared this amazingly breathtaking performance with the internet later?" he asked.

"How—" she began, cutting herself off when Darren held up a small digital camera.

"Caught it all from the wings," he smiled.

"Oh. Well, go ahead if you'd like," she laughed softly.

"Sonny, you were incredible!" Cassie shouted as she approached the stage with Demetri and her brother.

"Definitely," James nodded in agreement following them.

"You've got a really great voice," Demetri added with a shy smile.

Still unable to speak, Chad simply nodded at Demetri's statement.

"Thanks, you guys," she smiled.

"Well, would you like to sing more, or do you want to start heading back for the countdown?" the tallest actor asked.

Shrugging, she answered, "Doesn't matter to me. It's up to you."

"I'd like to sing one if there's time," Cassie said sheepishly.

"I think there's time for one more," the hazel eyed hobbit grinned, as they all returned to their positions.

* * *

><p>"Skyler just texted me. He said they'll meet us in Times Square," Rider announced as he stood up from the kitchen table.<p>

"I guess we'd all better get ready to go then," Dianna suggested.

"Right," Chase nodded, turning away as he coughed, heading back to the boys' room.

Ten minutes later, everyone gathered in front of the elevator doors. Everyone, except a certain dark haired genius.

"Has anyone seen Chase?" Rider asked, looking around.

"Last I saw him, he was heading to one of the bedrooms," Jenna answered.

The green-gray eyed actor strode down the hall to the room they shared and burst in impatiently. He paused in the doorway when he saw his friend passed out on his bed. On the table across the room, Rider spotted a bottle of cough syrup. Picking it up, he skimmed the side effects until he found "drowsiness."

"Oh, Chase," he murmured, setting the bottle back down.

Returning to the bed, he carefully removed his friend's thick jacket and placed it on a chair. Once the sleeping actor was tucked in, Rider placed the dark rimmed glasses on the bedside table and slipped out of the room.

Once he approached the large mob in the front hall, Rider announced, "You guys go on ahead."

"What? Why?" Heather asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah. Chase just took some medicine for his cough and fell asleep. I'm just gonna stay here with him."

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" Hannah offered with a look of concern.

"Don't be ridiculous, we'll be fine here. We can see the whole thing from the room anyways," he explained.

"Alright, but if you need help with anything, feel free to call one of us," Connie advised.

"Right," he nodded, waving them away. "Now go."

As he ushered them out, group by group, Tawni realized that she had left her phone in the home spa room.

"I'll be back in a sec," she assured her friends.

"Oh, I'll come with you," Penelope said, following behind with Portlyn.

Once they were inside, she shut the door and stood directly in front of it.

As the blonde searched, she asked, "Do you see my phone anywhere?"

"I know you know," Penelope replied, ignoring the question.

Unfazed by the statement, she continued looking, "You know I know what?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunette stated, "You know what I know you know."

"What does who know?" Portlyn questioned confusedly.

"Shut up, Portlyn," she spat back. "I know you know about the plan James and I made."

"How do you know I know?" Tawni narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

"You and the Mack Falls boys don't exactly have the quietest discussions. I'm surprised Sonny hasn't figured it out."

"Well then, yeah. I know. What are you going to do about it?" the blonde instigated, crossing her arms.

"Oh, I don't know… Just this," she smiled mischievously.

Within a few seconds, she had restrained the blonde diva against a lawn chair.

"Portlyn! The rope!" she nearly yelled, remembering Rider was still in the apartment.

"Oh, yeah!" the dark haired airhead remembered, pulling a coil of rope out from behind a potted plant and tossing it to Penelope.

"Why are you tying _me_ up?" the blonde inquired.

"You're Sonny's best friend. She'll probably go to you for advice before anyone else. You'd probably tell her to go for Chad. But now when she asks for help, you'll tell her to choose James," Penelope explained, holding up Tawni's pink bedazzled cell phone.

When the rope and gag were tied, the two girls headed for the door.

Just then, Tawni's phone vibrated in Penelope's hand.

"_Decision making time. What do you think I should do, Tawn?"_

"Oh, well would you look at that! A text from Sonny," the brunette grinned devilishly.

"You're not going to get away with this, Penelope," Tawni growled through the cloth.

The sly actress stood in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder.

"Just watch me."

* * *

><p>When the seven Broadway goers reached Times Square, each grinned with excitement.<p>

"Wow. Times Square looks even more beautiful at night," the younger Cooper remarked, listening to the music pulsating in the background.

"Especially on New Year's," her blue-green eyed companion nodded.

"Oh look! There's everyone else," Darren pointed out, waving to them.

As they made their way towards them, James looked around and spotted who he was looking for.

"Hey, I think I left my camera upstairs in the apartment," he whispered to Sonny, nudging her arm lightly.

"Oh, alright. I'll go with you," she replied, tapping Skyler on the shoulder.

"We're gonna run upstairs really quick," she told him.

Blinking a few times, he replied, "Okay. But you'd better hurry."

"Will do," she nodded, leading the way to the complex's front door.

Following behind for a few steps, Chad asked, "Don't you need the key to get in? I'll come with you."

"No, I've got one, so you can stay here," Sonny answered, shaking her head. "Thanks though, Chad."

"Right. No problem," he mumbled, returning to where his best friend stood.

Just after he rejoined the main cluster, a group of large men in black suits approached them.

"Are you the Condor and Fox kids?" the one in front asked.

"Yeah… Who are you?" the blond spoke up.

"We're your bodyguards for the night," another answered. "Your bosses sent us."

"Oh. Well, alright," the young adults shrugged.

"My daddy sent you?" Dakota folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You don't look like the normal guards he hired.

"He sent us to make sure you're all extra protected tonight since it's New Year's Eve."

She scrutinized his expression for a few moments before shrugging, "Okay, I guess," and returning to her game of I Spy with her friends.

"Now, is everyone here?" a third inquired.

"No," Skyler shook his head. "Rider and Chase are staying in for the night and Sonny and James went up to get his camera. They'll be back soon."

Snapping his fingers, the head bodyguard gestured for the scrawniest of the crew to stand by the door to escort them back.

In the center of the sea of actors and actresses where Zora and Audrey stood, the brunette girl's phone began to buzz. Pulling it out to see what the cause was, she received a message from her spy networking gear.

"Audrey," she whispered, elbowing her in the ribs. "Listen to this. Something is setting off the microphone we planted in the home spa."

Holding the phone between both of their heads, she played the audio recording just loud enough for them to hear.

"Is that Tawni?" the blonde asked bewilderedly.

"I think so. I knew something was up when Penelope said Tawni wasn't feeling good. Tawni never gets sick! She fakes it a lot, but…" she muttered back.

"What should we do?"

"Uh… Luke!" the girl genius called, making her way towards him.

"Can you text Rider and tell him to check the spa room to see if Tawni's in there? We're getting worried," her best friend requested softly.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded, taking out his phone.

"Thanks!" the girls chorused, returning to their spots.

"They've been up there for a while…" Chad mumbled to himself.

"If you're so worried, you should go up there then," Skyler rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I will," he retorted, heading towards the doors.

"Whoa, wait just a minute. Where are you going?" one of the bodyguards intervened.

"I want to go check on them upstairs," he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry, can't let you do that. Bosses' orders."

Sighing, he turned around muttering obscenities under his breath.

"I thought you were going upstairs," the green eyed actor commented.

"Not allowed. Against orders or something," he shrugged.

"He's not answering his phone," Luke told the two girl geniuses.

"Who's not?" the taller blond questioned.

"Rider. And we think Tawni's locked in the spa room upstairs," Zora whispered, glancing around to make sure Penelope wasn't listening.

"Something definitely isn't right," he frowned. "No one's allowed upstairs though."

"Try again in five minutes, we'll round up some help. Oh! And go tell Skyler to keep Penelope and Portlyn distracted," Audrey commanded, slipping away.

"Right," her best friend nodded, heading in the other direction.

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged.

"Hey, guys," Zora greeted the Randoms.

"Heyo! S'up Zora?" Nico smiled.

"I need you guys to distract the bodyguards in five minutes, so Chad can get upstairs," she stated bluntly.

Before they could inquire why, she blurted, "If you want to help Sonny and Chad get their sorry butts together, you have to help."

When they stared back at the small girl she corrected herself, "_Not like that, you beanheads!_ Are you with me or not?"

Shayne spoke up as the others shrugged and nodded, "Yeah, anything for Sonny."

"Great. Four minutes," she reminded them, disappearing to join her friend.

Passing by Skyler, Zora heard Chad restate, "Yeah. So keep them busy at least until I get inside the building."

Reaching her friend, she caught the end of her mini spiel.

"I don't know how well our friends will handle the bodyguards, so if you see them struggling, could you help them out?"

"Sure, no problem," Cory nodded.

"Let us know if you need someone to kick Conroy's ass," Mark added. "Darren kind of let us in on what was going on."

Grinning, Zora laughed, "Perfect. Thanks, guys!" before returning to their spot in the crowd.

Exactly three minutes later, the Random boys each headed to their posts and began distracting the guards with their bizarre methods of dancing, magic tricks, and bad impressions.

Smacking her forehead, Zora shook her head, "At least they're trying, I guess…"

"Yeah," Audrey agreed, signaling Chad to go inside.

The blond discreetly strode toward the door and reached for the handle when the guard stopped him.

"Y-you're not allowed inside," he stammered. "Sorry…"

"Look, buddy, this is kind of urgent. I need to go check on my friends upstairs," he stated, his blue eyes beginning to look dark and stormy.

"I—" he began.

"Is there a problem here?" Logan asked from behind the blond, folding his arms.

With him were Luke and the Glee boys, looking equally as menacing, mostly because even Luke was taller than the guard.

"Nope. No problem here," Chad replied, pulling the door open and leaving the nervous bodyguard behind.

Immediately, he ran across the first floor lobby and rapidly pushed the elevator call button. Once inside, he slid his card key through the slot and the doors closed, lifting him to the correct floor.

Stepping out, he called, "Rider?"

"Chad? What are you doing here?" he asked, peeking around the fireplace from his spot on the couch.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? Where's Blondie? Did Sonny and James come up here?" he interrogated.

"Whoa, slow down. My phone is in the room and I didn't want to risk waking up Chase. I thought Tawni was outside with you guys, and yes, Sonny and James were up here but they left a few minutes ago," Rider answered, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on with you?"

"Long story," he shouted, briskly walking towards the spa room, his friend following behind.

"Yeah? Then talk," he demanded.

"The freaky genius twin Randoms said they think Blondie's locked in here, and I don't like the fact that Sonny is alone with James somewhere," he revealed, twisting the doorknob.

"Damn it! It's locked," he sputtered.

"Go look for a bobby pin in the girl's room or just something sharp," Rider commanded, taking over.

A few moments later, he returned with a brown bobby pin and a metal nail file.

"Perfect," the red-brown haired actor nodded.

Within thirty seconds, the door was open.

"How—"

"Melody's locked herself in her room by accident many times when she was little."

A cry of surprise from across the room turned both of their heads.

Racing over to her, they untied the gag so she could speak.

"Took you guys long enough!" she gasped.

"You're welcome, Blondie," Chad rolled his eyes, attempting to untie her wrists.

"Who tied you up in here?" Rider asked as he filed at the rope around her ankles.

"Penelope, obviously."

"Well, you're feel free to do what you'd like to her," Chad told her. "Now, I just have to find Sonny and Conroy."

"Oh, they're on the roof. Penelope left a walkie talkie monitor thing in here and has it set up to a microphone or something. I think there's one on her jacket and on James' too," Tawni divulged, rubbing her wrists.

Immediately, Chad took off and ran towards the elevator.

"What exactly did you hear them say at the elevator?" Rider wondered.

"Something about Darren and Skyler not being the only ones with a surprise for her," she shrugged.

"But how do you know they're on the roof?"

"They're not down there with everyone else, are they?"

"Touché," he nodded, returning to the living room.

"How do you get to the roof?" Chad shouted to no one in particular.

"Well, there's a keypad in the elevator. Maybe you need a special code?" Rider suggested.

"Yeah, but what—_Tawni!_"

"What do you want?" she grumbled.

"Text someone to ask Dakota if she knows the elevator code to get onto the roof," the blond commanded.

Rolling her eyes, she did so. Within the minute, she was sent a reply.

"Spell Dakota using the letters on the number pad," she read to the frantic actor.

"_Yes!"_ he shouted as the doors closed.

Heading back to her room, the irritated blonde diva retrieved her purse and waited for the elevator to come back and take her down to her friends outside in Times Square.

Sitting down on the couch in the living room, Rider checked the time on the TV and noticed that it was ten minutes until midnight.

Jumping up from his seat once more, he sprinted down the hall to the music room and picked up an acoustic guitar.

Quietly, he began strumming the tune and walked towards the room where his best friend was sleeping.

Pushing the door open with his foot, he began to sing.

_Are you lonesome tonight?_

_Did you miss me tonight?_

_Are you sorry we drifted apart?_

At the sound of his voice, Chase began to stir slightly, coming back to consciousness.

_Does your memory stray_

_To that bright summer day,_

_When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?_

His eyes fluttered open for a moment as he rolled over and reached for his glasses, fumbling to put them on.

_Do the chairs in your parlor_

_Feel empty and bare?_

Propping himself up on his elbows, the disoriented actor watched as the musician walked across the room and stood next to the bed.

_Do you gaze at your doorstep_

_And picture me there?_

Almost smirking, Rider continued to sing, relishing in the fact that he had the genius entranced.

_Is your heart still in pain?_

_Will I come back again?_

Slowing down the song just a bit as it approached the conclusion, he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

_Tell me, dear, are you lonesome tonight?_

Readjusting his glasses, the genius sighed, "You're an idiot, you know."

"That's a fine way to thank the person who stayed behind to take care of you," Rider smiled, leaning the guitar against the other bed.

"That's exactly it. Why didn't you just go? You've been talking about going to Times Square all day," Chase mumbled into his pillow, coughing a few times.

"Because I didn't want to leave you up here by yourself on New Year's Eve," he shrugged. "Sorry for waking you, by the way. I just didn't think you'd want to miss the New Year's countdown."

Moving over to make room for his friend, Chase shook his head, "It's quite alright."

Silently, Rider picked up the TV remote and turned it to the channel he had been watching before and the pair watched the excitement building in Times Square.

* * *

><p><em>Five minutes 'til midnight…<em>

* * *

><p>Stepping out of the elevator, Chad's heart sank. The highest it could go up was a few floors below the roof and the doorway to the staircase was locked. Several doors were placed before him. Like a labyrinth, he would have to find his way to his destination, and then back to the exit.<p>

A certain song ran through his mind like adrenaline as he raced through rooms and flung open doors in search of one that lead to the roof.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting._

_Could it be that we have been this way before?_

Up on the roof, Sonny wandered around, carefully looking over the edges to see the beautiful city below.

"Spectacular, isn't it?" James smiled softly, watching the huge mass of New Yorkers.

"Absolutely," she sighed.

_I know you don't think that I am trying._

_I know you're wearing thin down to the core._

Reaching a dead end, Chad groaned, "Damn it!" and spun around, going back the way he had come.

_But hold your breath,_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again._

The pair stood over the edge and observed the final performer onstage as the crowd hyperactively sang along.

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true._

Ever so subtly, James slowly inched closer to the brunette since she was caught up in the music.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find._

_You're impossible to find._

Pausing to catch his breath, Chad stared at the four doors before him. In his eyes, they almost seemed to mock him.

"_Choose the wrong one and you'll miss your chance,"_ they seemed to say.

_This is not what I intended._

_I always swore to you I'd never fall apart._

Wiping his sweaty brow with his sleeve, the blond closed his eyes to keep the tears from coming. Chad Dylan Cooper didn't cry. Crying meant giving up. Chad Dylan Cooper didn't give up.

_You always thought that I was stronger._

_I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start._

Taking a deep breath and clearing his mind, he opened his eyes and pushed the third door open, continuing on his mission.

_But hold your breath,_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again._

When the final performance ended, the couple on the rooftop smiled at each other as the light snowfall turned into a flurry.

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true._

Gazing affectionately at the brunette, James whispered, "Sonny…"

"Yeah, James?" she asked, turning her head to face him.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find._

_It's impossible…_

"There's something I want to tell you…"

* * *

><p><em>Three minutes…<em>

* * *

><p>Outside, Times Square was roaring with the sound of several thousand voices chanting in unison.<p>

As the two sophomores gazed intently at the lighted ball slowly descending, they participated in the countdown.

_So breathe in so deep._

_Breathe me in._

_I'm yours to keep._

Trailing off, the smile left the older boy's face as he nudged her arm and whispered, "Cassie… I have to tell you something."

_And hold onto your words_

_'Cause talk is cheap._

Taking his hand, her eyes were still locked on the scene before her.

_And remember me tonight_

_When you're asleep._

He turned his head to look at her, not quite looking her in the eyes, "Listen… I really like you a lot…"

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you_

_Over again._

"Same to you," she smiled softly, looking up at him.

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true._

"But I can't do this…" he said in a soft voice.

"What? I don't understand," Cassie her smile faltering slightly.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find._

"I have a girlfriend… But before you say anything, let me explain," he confessed.

Letting go of his hand, she backed away slowly and joined the two Random girls, leaving him staring after her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sixty… Fifty-nine… Fifty-eight…"<em>

* * *

><p><em>Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you<em>

_Over again._

Finally finding the staircase, Chad used what was left of his strength to climb it to the rooftop.

_Don't make me change my mind_

"I really like you, Sonny…" the brunet confessed. "And I would love it if you'd be my girlfriend…"

Smiling softly, she added, "Yeah… I kind of got that impression when you kissed me yesterday."

"Yeah… Anyways… Like I said, I would love that, but I don't want that to happen this way."

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

"What way?" she tilted her head questioningly.

_I swear it's true._

"The truth is, Penelope and I were kind of deceiving you this whole time and—"

"I know, James," she interrupted softly.

"—I'm really sorry and—Wait. You _know_?" he repeated in a surprised tone.

Nodding, she explained, "I didn't say anything because I made it part of your test. If you told me, you pass. If you didn't…"

"Oh," he nodded understandingly. "So… Does this mean—"

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find._

_You're impossible to find._

Just then, an exhausted, irritated blond burst onto the roof and shouted, "Sonny, wait!"

"Chad?" she called back, turning around to face him.

Gasping for air as he walked towards her, he blurted, "I have a confession to make, Sonny."

Stopping right in front of her, he let his thoughts flow freely.

"I like you, Sonny. I really mean it and I think I always have. I'm sorry I've been so rude to you. I didn't mean all those stupid comments I made before. And also, I'm sorry for lying and saying I like that Samantha girl, I barely know her and she has a boyfriend. I was just nervous and—"

Letting him ramble on for a little bit longer, she glanced at James who whispered, "I wouldn't blame you if you chose him…"

"Can we still be friends?" she asked, smiling apologetically.

"We'll see," he smiled mysteriously, heading back inside.

"Shut up for a second, Chad," she commanded, holding back a smile as she put a finger to his lips. "Time for talking is over because…"

* * *

><p>"<em>Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!"<em>

* * *

><p>"Because I like you too," she admitted.<p>

Just before the deafening roar of cheers from down below, the blond leaned down and instinctively kissed the brunette, sending tingles down their spines as the first brilliant sparks of the New Year flew through the air.

* * *

><p>Down in Times Square, the moment the clock struck twelve, hoots and hollers cut through the air, waking anyone who had managed to fall asleep within a three mile radius of New York City.<p>

Grinning down at the platinum blond, the auburn haired actor clasped the younger boy's hand, holding it tightly.

Next to them, the three mischievous girls jumped up and down shouting happily in the faces of the Random boys.

Behind them were Darren and Skyler who were sharing their very first kiss of the New Year.

All throughout the eastern time zone, parents hugged their children, teenagers kissed their boyfriend or girlfriend, and the rest simply stood in awe of the spectacular lights.

* * *

><p>Up in the condominium at the stroke of midnight, Rider took Chase's hand and leaned down, softly pressing his lips to the gray eyed boy's.<p>

Pulling away, he smiled, "Happy New Year, Alteau."

Regaining his composure, Chase faintly smiled back, "Happy New Year, Kingston."

* * *

><p>Meeting them in the street as the crowd began to clear out, James approached the rest of the group.<p>

"So…?" Penelope grinned hopefully. "How'd it go?"

"I'm done doing your dirty work, Penelope," he smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means he's done doing your laundry, duh!" Portlyn piped up.

"…No. It means I told her the truth."

"You idiot! You've ruined everything," she yelled, causing the heads of his companions to turn and face her.

"No, I made things right. What we were going to do was wrong, Penelope. I want her to be happy," he retorted, reinforcing his stance.

"She could've been happy with you!"

"But she'll be happier with him!"

Impulsively, she shoved the brunet and made her way towards the Windsor building.

Blocking the doorway, the small bodyguard stood in her way.

"Move it, Steven," she snarled, ready to step around him.

Catching her arms, Harry and Mark restrained her.

Stepping forward, Steven signaled to the other guards to take her from them.

Patting James on the back, the group reassured him that he had done the right thing.

"Sorry about her," he apologized when she was gone. "My sister's a little cuckoo sometimes. Don't worry, it doesn't run in the family."

"Who are you?" Logan asked.

"I'm Steven Balitico. Penelope's brother. Our dad runs a bodyguard agency, which is why I'm here. He was worried when she asked if he could let her borrow some of his employees, so sent me to keep an eye on her," the scrawny boy explained.

"Oh. Well, thanks, man!" Skyler smiled, slapping him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him down.

"Where are they taking her?" Cassie wondered out loud.

"She'll be on the next flight to LA, courtesy of Balitico Security Agency," Steven reassured. "I'll send some guys up to get her stuff in a little bit."

"Great. Thanks, Steven!" Logan smiled appreciatively as the guards followed the small brunet boy.

"Well, I guess we'd better get going," Kevin sighed, checking his phone.

"We'll probably see you guys later through Darren's Oovoo conversations with Skyler," Naya smirked devilishly.

"But if not, I guess we'll see you all back in California," Amber finished with a light laugh.

"See you!" they all chorused as the groups departed.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Darren grinned to his boyfriend, kissing him on the cheek.

"Sounds good," Skyler grinned back, heading inside with his friends.

"Cassie, wait up a sec," Demetri called, glancing back at his father and sisters who were waiting at their car nearby.

"Whatever you have to say, I honestly don't really want to hear it," she sighed.

"Please, just give me one minute…"

"…Clock's ticking," she gave in, turning around to face him.

"Here's the full story. Before the holiday break, I knew I wanted to break up with my girlfriend. I just wasn't really feeling it anymore. But I didn't want to end it before or over the vacation, because I wasn't sure how she would react. I didn't want to ruin her break," he explained, pausing to take a breath.

"And then I met you at FAO Schwarz. You lost that charm on your bracelet and I thought I'd never see you again. But then we met up at Condor's party. It was a sign. I know it was. I would have kissed you tonight, but that would make me a cheater. I don't want to do that to her or to you," he told her with a sincerely sorry look in his eyes. "As soon as school starts back up, I'm breaking up with her. I've been telling myself that since the before beginning of vacation."

"By then, I'll be back in California. And from what I've heard, long distance relationships never end well," she said softly, looking him in the eye.

"I'll be in LA over the summer. Could we start over then?"

"I don't know…"

"Well… Until then, could we try being friends?" he asked, his eyes bright with hope.

"…Your minute is up, Demetri," she answered, turning away and walking towards the door.

Shoulders drooping, his bright blue-green eyes dimmed a little as he began walking towards the car.

Pausing, the blonde called over her shoulder, "…I'll think about it, alright?"

Looking back at her, he nodded and then got into the passenger seat.

Standing in the doorway, Cassie watched as the Carsons drove away.

* * *

><p>Still up on the rooftop, the duo sat on a wooden crate together, huddled for warmth, watching the spectators trailing off like an army of ants.<p>

"So… What were you and Conroy doing up here before I got here?" the blond asked quietly.

"We were watching the performers sing and the people go crazy," the brunette smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah? But what were you talking about the moment before I interrupted you two?"

"He was telling me the truth."

"The truth… About how he likes you?"

"Yes. And about how he and Penelope planned to trick me into falling for him," she stated firmly.

"What did you say to him?" Chad prompted her, stroking her hand with his thumb.

"I told him I already knew," Sonny shrugged.

"You _knew_?" he repeated, gaping at her.

"Why is that such a big surprise? I'm not _that_ oblivious, y'know. You guys have got to get a better method for discussion, because hiding out in that room and trying to be quiet is not working out for you," she laughed.

"Huh. Chase and Skyler were right. I _am_ the oblivious squid…Whatever that is," he sighed with a small smile.

When she burst out laughing at his statement, he asked, "Wait… You know what that means? Please tell me because I'm totally lost!"

Standing up and holding out her hand to help him up, she explained, "It's a Dalton thing. All you need to know is that there's this character that was totally oblivious to the fact that his best friend was in love with him for three years."

"Wow… But why a squid?" Chad asked confusedly, taking her hand and getting up.

Shrugging, she straightened his jacket and replied, "Who knows?"

"Am I like him?" he smiled, squeezing her hand gently.

"Yes and no. It's insanely complicated," she laughed softly.

"But tell me… Does he ever ask out the best friend?"

"He hasn't yet."

"Well, here's at least one different about us," he grinned, turning to face her.

"Sonny Munroe… Will you go out with me?"

Laughing under her breath and smiling affectionately, she whispered a simple, "Yes."

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it so much. Don't forget to check back every once in a while to see if I've posted the epilogue. Also, let me know what you thought of the whole story in general. Thanks!**


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay on this epilogue... I really have no excuse for being 5 months late, but I will attempt to make one up. I overestimated my motivation and underestimated my schoolwork load. Here it is! (PS. I'm not entirely sure I'll be writing a sequel for this. It's a possibility, but I'm not really motivated to write it.)**

_January 23_

"You really did a great job, Darren! That performance was absolutely flawless," the brunette girl gushed as she hung up her jacket and new scarf on the coat rack in the Condors' apartment of the Windsor Complex.

"Aww, thanks, Sonn-ay!" he grinned, hugging her from behind as he passed by. "But it's probably only because I knew Skyler was watching this time."

When Darren released her, she followed the rest of the group to the living room, leaving him with his proud boyfriend by the door. Immediately, the green-eyed boy pulled him into a hug.

"_My_ boyfriend just finished his first run on a Broadway show. I'm so proud of you, Darr'," Skyler murmured into his ear.

"I know you are, Sky. This is the fortieth time you've told me," he murmured back, kissing his cheek.

The warmth from his kiss made Skyler realize how cold he was. When he felt Skyler shiver, Darren took his hand and suggested, "C'mon. I'll go make some coffee or something."

As the pair headed into the kitchen, they passed the living room filled with their friends. On one of the couches sat Sonny, who was snuggled up against her sleepy blond boyfriend, Chad. Both of them were wrapped in a blanket for warmth. On the other couch, Logan and Luke were the same, but Luke had fallen asleep. Chase was lying on his stomach in the middle of the floor, reading a book. Flopped down next to him was Rider, who was leaning against him in a sort of "let's-mock-all-of-the-lovey-dovey-couples" manner.

In the bedroom that the younger girls had occupied previously were Cassie and Caleigh. Caleigh was contently sitting on one of the beds, playing with her stuffed unicorn and watching one of her new movies. At the table, the older blonde was video chatting with her best friend who was back in California.

"I still can't believe you got to see _Darren Criss_ on _Broadway_ and that he's dating your brother's best friend!" the brunette squealed. "You're so lucky!"

"Yeah, Darren's great. He's just as funny as in those behind the scenes videos of Glee," Cassie grinned.

"I bet he is," she nodded, grinning back at her. "But enough about other people's love lives. How's Demetri?"

Rolling her eyes, the blonde shrugged, "How should I know? He's _your _cousin. And thank you for not telling me about that, by the way."

"Hey, you didn't tell me about anything until you got back to California! How was I supposed to know you met _him_ out of every blond boy in New York? Anyways, didn't you say he gave you a choice and that you said you didn't know?"

"Yeah," she sighed, sitting back in her chair.

"Well, he's waiting to hear from _you_ then," her friend stated. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know…" she yawned. "I'd prefer to never hear from or of him ever again, but y'know… The universe really likes to torture me."

"You have to do _something_, Cass. You'll lose him altogether if you don't."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"I'm going to get off of here and you are going to talk to him via text, call, email, or whatever. You _will_ contact him one way or another," Selene commanded in a superior tone.

"I hate you," Cassie replied, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Talk to him. Now, bye," she grinned as she ended the call.

The blonde threw back her head and sighed loudly.

"…Do I have to leave?" the younger blonde asked.

When her sister nodded, Caleigh sighed dramatically. Picking up her stuffed unicorn she walked towards the door, announcing, "I'm gonna go bother Chaddy and Sonny. 'Kay?"

Smiling a bit, Cassie answered, "Perfect."

As Caleigh opened the door to leave, a commotion echoed through the hall, coming from the kitchen.

"What in tarnation possessed you put pepper flakes in Darren's coffee grounds?" Skyler roared, losing control over his normally hidden accent.

"I didn't mean for all of it to end up in _his_! I thought it was all mixed in with the rest!" Rider defended as the tall Texan cornered him. "Chaaaseee…"

Without so much as a glance towards him, the intellectual replied, "You dug yourself into this hole and you're getting yourself out."

"He ain't gonna help you, Kingston," the southerner growled.

Rider attempted to make a break for the hallway, but Skyler caught him before he could make it more than a few feet. Within a few seconds, the thespian had the prankster pinned on his stomach, one arm behind his back.

"Augh!" Rider yelped.

Chase ignored him as Chad smirked and Logan rolled his eyes. Sonny simply raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Skyler…" she began.

"S'fine. Stay outta it please, Munroe," he muttered in reply.

Exiting the kitchen, Darren approached Skyler with his shirt collar undone as he fanned his tongue.

"Phew. Now _that_ was some hot coffee," he joked good-naturedly, hugging his boyfriend from behind.

Turning his face to look at him, Skyler replied calmly, "No kidding. Your whole face turned redder than a tomato."

Letting up on Rider, Skyler followed Darren back to the kitchen. The moment Skyler had lessened his grasp, Rider shot to his feet and raced down the hall, nearly mowing down Caleigh.

Shaking his head as he heard the door slam, Chase murmured, "Moron."

"Hiya, Chaddy! Hiya, Sonny!" Caleigh greeted as she climbed up onto the couch.

"Hey, Caleigh," Sonny grinned.

"S'up, kiddo?" Chad asked, ruffling her hair before wrapping his arms back around Sonny.

Making a face and trying to fix her hair, the little girl replied, "Cassie was gonna call D'metri so I had to leave. Hmph."

"Oh? I thought she was mad at him," he remarked.

"She is?" the brunette interjected.

"Mhm. But Selene told her to talk to him or else," she stated.

"Huh…" Chad said, trailing off in thought.

"Wait, I'm lost. Why is she mad at Demetri?" Sonny asked.

"He was dating some other girl the whole time and told Cassie on New Year's Eve," he explained, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, poor Cassie. Did he give her a reason for not telling her?"

"I dunno. Maybe. She didn't give a whole lot of details when she told me. She was too upset," he shrugged.

"Hmm. I hope everything works out between them," Sonny sighed.

"Yeah, me too," he agreed, kissing her cheek.

Hugging her unicorn, Caleigh nodded, "Me three. Cassie was a lot more fun and nice before she got mad at D'metri."

The couple chuckled softly, letting her sulk for a bit as Sonny hugged her.

Back in the room, Cassie paced across the floor, glancing at her dark blue phone in the center of her bed. She jumped at the sound of her phone vibrating, knowing immediately who was calling her by the ringer ID.

"_We were picture perfect, flawless on the surface. We were walking on a straight line..."_

Taking a deep breath, she sat on the edge of her bed and picked up her phone.

"Hey..." she answered slowly.

"Hey... You said we needed to talk? I figured talking would be easier than typing," the familiar voice explained.

"Yeah... Uh..." she began, running her hand through her long blonde locks.

"I really am sorry, Cassie," Demetri said softly. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If it helps any, I did break up with Carly."

"You did?" she asked as she fell back into the pillows. "Why did you do that?"

"I told you, I'd been planning to for a while. She understood. And besides, it was actually mutual."

"Hm. I can't see why…" Cassie muttered to herself.

"What?" he inquired, trying to contain his laughter.

"Nothing," she replied, feeling relieved that he could not see her blush.

"Mm'kay... So...?"

"I forgive you, Demetri," she stated after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"...You do?" he asks, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I do..."

"Oh... What does that mean for us now?" he wondered aloud.

"It means we can start over... as friends," she explained.

Smiling, he rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sounds good."

"Awesome," the blonde sighed in relief.

"Yeah," he laughed under his breath. "Sorry to leave so quickly, but I've gotta go do homework."

"It's alright," she sighed with a smile in her voice. "I'll text you later."

"Okay. 'Night, Cassie."

"G'night, Demetri."

Shortly after ending the call, Cassie moved towards the door. Pulling it open, she stuck her head into the hall and shouted, "You can come back if you want, Caleigh."

"Yay!" Immediately, the little girl wriggled out of the older girl's grasp and skipped out of the room, pulling her beloved unicorn behind her.

Laughing softly, the brunette sighed, "Your sisters are adorable."

"Yeah… It's in the Cooper blood," the blond smirked, looking down at her as he rubbed her cold arms.

"Yeah… Shut up, Cooper," she murmured into his chest, pouting once she realized he had gotten her lost in his eyes again.

"Mm… only for you, Munroe," he sighed, kissing her forehead.

Poking his head out from behind the hallway wall, Rider asked, "If Chad shuts up when Sonny tells him to, can she come to Stage II more often?"

As the Sonny laughed quietly and Chad glared witheringly, Logan spoke up from across the room, "If you're willing to put up with their bickering one minute and sweet-talk the next…"

"…I'll take my chances," the musician shrugged, diving into his place next to the intellectual on the floor, dodging the pillow Chad chucked at him.

As Rider leaned against him, Chase muttered, "You're an idiot."

"Love you too, Chase-y," he grinned teasingly, kissing the genius' ear and causing the spot to turn pink.

* * *

><p>The world seemed to slow down as the evening continued, much to Sonny's liking. As the various couples in the room began to trickle into their rooms, she and Chad were the last in the living room.<p>

The pair had shifted over to the fireplace, where they sat for warmth as they gazed out the window.

"The city looks so beautiful at night," Sonny said softly with a sigh.

"It can't compare to you though," Chad murmured softly as he kissed her ear.

Smiling up at him, she remarked, "I didn't know you could be so sweet."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he smiled back.

"Well then, I'm looking forward to finding out," she grinned, kissing his cheek.

Sighing contently, the blond pulled the brunette closer, "There's just something about this city that's magical, I swear… It's almost-"

"Enchanting?" the brunette finished. "Yeah, there is…"

"Being in New York is like falling in love. Over and over again, every minute…" she quoted. "At least, that's what I've heard."

"I guess we'll find out when we come back again," the blond grinned softly as he grabbed a pillow off the couch.

As he lay down near the fire, she gently rested her head on his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull the blanket over them. Just as they began to drift off to sleep, a star streaked across the sky.

In that moment, the only thing they wished for was for these mutual feelings to never end.

_And so concludes the tale of an NYC enchantment._

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story! Let me know what you thought.**


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